Subject 4
by KT101 x TLB
Summary: Bzzzz... Subject... 4... escape... Bzzzz... The apocalypse is upon us!... The... end is... HERE! WAAAA!... Bzzz... Hope... Kur... Devices... Creatu... Please help us! We... created... MONSTER!... ZZZZZ...ZZZZ... BZZZZ... Signal Lost... What would you do? Would you survive an Apocalypse?... Hung...ry...
1. File 01

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

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At least once in everyone's life, you've thought about how you'd react if an apocalypse suddenly happened. Most of you would either think "Yeah, I'd be a big hero and survive for so long" or you'd think "I'd definitely die the first day".

Well, here are some words from someone who suddenly got thrown into the unannounced apocalypse with the rest of Japan, maybe even the world. Don't ever wish for the apocalypse to happen. From day one, it's an absolute nightmare.

Everything was so peaceful. Kuroko Tetsuya, a small male that was on his second year of high school, was at home reading while the TV played on a random channel. It was the weekend and if his parents were home, they'd probably force him to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. However they couldn't since they were at work.

Every time Kuroko thought about his parents, he'd look down at his necklace. It was a very strange necklace that his father had given him not too long ago. Well, perhaps it was more like a pendant, not a necklace. But Kuroko just called it a necklace because no matter how much he tries opening it, it just won't open.

Just when he was getting back to his good book, the TV suddenly changed channels. It was the news. Kuroko almost got up to turn it off but the pictures on the screen caught his eyes and made him freeze. This had to be some joke... The news was calling a sudden evacuation as they displayed pictures of horrible hideous beasts attacking people. What scared Kuroko most was the fact that the city being attacked was close by Tokyo, which was where Kuroko lived.

Despite being told to evacuate, Kuroko didn't. Not because he was stupid and thought it was a joke. He couldn't leave without his parents. What if they got home and found their son, their only son, gone? They would be scared, lost and devastated. He could not do that to them.

So he stayed. He decided he would stay for at least three days or until something happened and he had to leave.

For some reason, nothing happened the first day. Nothing but people just evacuating and people laughing at those who were taking the news seriously. They thought it was a joke and didn't listen. Kuroko knew they regret their decision once night came.

When it was nighttime, Kuroko was suddenly awoken by screams outside. He immediately jumped out his comfortable, warm bed, and ran to the window. He slowly parted the curtains just a tiny bit and his breath hitched. Across the street was one of those beasts he saw on TV. It was bigger than an average male and it was so deformed, it was almost pitiful.

Kuroko had to watch as the creature tore apart the man, even when that man became silent. Why? Why were they doing this? Kuroko nearly threw up when he saw the strange creature begin to _eat_ him. Oh god, what were they?

It couldn't be an animal! Despite being so deformed and huge, it had a human kind of way to it. When they ran or stalked down the street, they had a human sense to them. Kuroko couldn't explain it. He stayed in his room and stayed silent the whole night.

When morning came, none of the creatures were to be found. Kuroko even risked stepping outside for a few moments and immediately regretted it. He could see a few dead bodies here and there, almost completely devoured. He ran back inside to avoid the sight.

The same thing kept happening for the next few days. Nothing would happen during the day but by night, the creatures came out to play. Eventually Kuroko stopped hearing screams outside. Was it because those creatures ate everyone or because he was so tired from lack of sleep? He couldn't sleep much because he was terrified. He didn't know when those creatures would attack. Actually after a few days of watching, he eventually learned. The creatures for some reason only travel at night.

Finally Kuroko decided to leave. He couldn't stay and wait for those beasts to barge into his home and eat him. Finding his good trusty backpack, he began stuffing it with all the food he could find that wouldn't spoil. He got a few water bottles from the fridge but when he tried refilling empty ones, no water would come out the sink. Great. Guess that means no showers.

Just when Kuroko finished packing, he heard his door bust open. He immediately became frightened. Was it a beast? A thief? He grabbed a kitchen knife and waited for the person or creature to come into the kitchen. If he was going to die, he was going to die fighting...

"Kuroko!"

Kuroko's eyes widened in surprise. That voice...

"Ogiwara-kun!"

With that, the two best friends rejoiced. They were happy to see each other of course but surprised to see each other alive.

"How are you not dead? Why are you here?" Kuroko asked with worry.

"I should be asking you! With your weak stamina and poor muscles, I don't think you'll last long." Ogiwara joked which made him receive a punch to the gut. "Hey, hey! No violence! I came here to see if anyone was still alive. Guess it's only you..."

"How did you get here?"

"Apparently those creatures only travel-"

"At night." Kuroko finished.

"Stop taking my spotlight!" Ogiwara pouted.

Now that Ogiwara was here, Kuroko felt his confidence rise. He had his best friend by his side. Maybe they can survive.

Ogiwara came with his own supplies so they were ready to go. After Kuroko packed some medical supplies and gave Ogiwara a knife for defense, they were on their way. Ever since then, they both had each other's backs as they tried to figure out just what the hell was going on.

They managed to survive together for a month. They traveled by day and by night, they took shelter. They always took night shifts, switching every few hours so they both got their rest. They also did some raids. They needed more supplies and better weapons. They haven't encountered the beasts up close yet, but they weren't sure if kitchen knives will do the trick.

After many raids of only getting little supplies like food and medical kits, they finally found a few decent weapons. They stumbled upon a recently killed group of what they assumed were bandits because they had quite a bit of loot.

"Yo Kuroko! They got a freaking crossbow like in the movies!" Ogiwara exclaimed with excitement as he picked up the weapons. Kuroko was worried that Ogiwara would get out of hand but didn't say anything.

"Make sure to take whatever you can get." Kuroko reminded and they both stuffed their packs full. They got everything they needed from that raid, including good weapons. They both got pistols (They weren't sure if they could handle the big guns) and their own choice of weapon. Ogiwara kept his "precious" crossbow (He even carved his name into it as soon as he got it!) and Kuroko found a pretty nice sword. It was probably originally used for just display but not anymore.

The two continued on and thought life was great despite the sudden apocalypse. But as soon as the month ended, their lives turned once more.

Kuroko didn't know how it happened. They were in a nice sheltered cave and he had the first shift. He swore he didn't close his eyes! He would never sleep on watch since it could cost their lives! But one moment it was peaceful and the next, Ogiwara was screaming.

Kuroko stood up but froze when he saw the reason why Ogiwara was screaming. He was being torn into by one of those creatures. This was the first time Kuroko saw one up close. Its body was flat in some places, bumpy in others. For some reason, its skin was scorched black as if it burned in a fire. If this was some animal, it's species was definitely not recognizable.

It was when he realized that Ogiwara's screams stopped that the beast was eating him. One of those killing beasts were eating his best friend!

Kuroko shakily pulled out his gun and pointed it at the creature. His hands shook but he was sure he could shoot it. But should he? What if it angers the creature? Before he could decide on what to do, his gun suddenly shot. His hands were shaking so bad, he didn't mean to shoot!

He heard a yelp from the beast then a whine. He saw it look at him but instead of being enraged, it seemed hurt.

"..Hu..rts... why..?"

Hurts? Did he hear wrong? Kuroko stared at the beast in fear who only stared back. When the weird deformed creature bent his head down and began to drag away a partially eaten Ogiwara, Kuroko couldn't move. Eventually the two bodies disappeared and left Kuroko all alone.

He fell onto his knees, uncaring if he landed too hard and would most likely get bruises. He got his best friend killed and didn't even kill the beast for vengeance. What is wrong with him? Why didn't he try to at least kill the beast? It was either avenge Ogiwara or die and join him above. But it was neither.

He noticed something by Ogiwara's blood and slowly crawled towards it. It was... a small piece of burnt paper? Most of it was burned and black, but there were some recognizable words.

"Subject 4 escaped..." There were some burned holes then a few more words. "Destruction of Earth..."

What the hell did that mean?

Kuroko couldn't remember the rest of the night clearly. He cried himself to sleep and woke up unharmed in the morning. He expected it to be a nightmare but when he looked around, Ogiwara was gone. There was nothing but his blood left on the stone floor.

Kuroko only had so little time to grieve for his friend. He had to travel to a safer place. He had to reach some kind of city to raid and stay for a few days. He needed better shelter than a cave like this.

He went through Ogiwara's bag for anything important. He couldn't carry everything or else it would slow him down. He had to limit supplies. However he did not hesitate to take Ogiwara's favorite weapon. He slowly traced Ogiwara's name in the wood. It's only been one month into the apocalypse and he was already alone with two mementos from important people in his life. All he had left was himself, his pendant his father gave him and Ogiwara's weapon.

How was he ever going to survive?

Kuroko kept traveling and was extremely careful this time around. He avoided all contact with bandits and those beasts as much as he could. He did have a few encounters with those night creatures whenever he couldn't find shelter. He found out that even as they cried out and sometimes even screamed in pain when he attacked, he didn't hesitate to pull the trigger or bring down his sword.

While he still had his weapons (and hopefully his sanity), he was running low on supplies. He desperately needed food and water and he needed some medical supplies for the wound on his leg. It wasn't too bad. It was because in his rush to escape those beasts through a forest, it was dark so he couldn't see the dead tree log on the ground. He tripped and ended up cutting his leg a bit on the bark he supposed. He didn't care so long as it healed and didn't get infected.

Just when he thought he should turn back and look for shelter, Kuroko finally found a city in the distance. He immediately ran towards it when he saw the sun going down. He needed to find shelter quick before those things came out.

As he ran into the outskirts of the city, he noticed a sign. _Kyoto._ He mumbled in his head. This city was pretty far from Tokyo. So he made some distance, huh?

He continued running and looked around. Where to go? Where to go? Most of the stores and buildings were broken or completely trashed. None of these could be used as shelter! He was about to scream out in frustration when he caught something in the corner of his eye. A creature? But the sun wasn't down yet! Then he saw red.

Whatever it was just ran down the street fast and continued running. Kuroko ran silently a little to catch up and hide behind an over turned car. It was... a survivor! Maybe they could help him!

But what if they're dangerous? What if they kill him before he could even speak? Well, it was either risk that or die outside to those creatures. After building up his courage, Kuroko got up and followed the survivor.

The red haired survivor eventually made it to a budding that was really barricaded. They must've been making this for all two months! Kuroko glanced at the sun and frowned when he saw it was going down fast. He needed to act now. He ran to the big metal doors the redhead just disappeared into a few moments ago. He took a deep breath. It was now or never.

After reluctantly raising his hand, Kuroko knocked on the door.

Kuroko knocked a couple of times but the only response he got was the resonating sound the metal doors produced from his action. Kuroko waited, waited until someone opened the doors. It was going to be night soon and he had no time to spare. He was about to knock one more time but was stopped when the metal doors suddenly budged open, revealing the redhead survivor he had seen before.

The teen (by his looks) opened the doors more only to reveal a gun in his right hand pointing at Kuroko. "Who are you?" The cold unwelcoming voice cut through the air.

Kuroko looked at the gun and raised his hands a little. They weren't above his head because he was too exhausted to do anything more than that. He looked behind him at the setting sun. There were already shadows casted from the buildings.

He looked back at the survivor and frowned. "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya and I swear I don't mean any harm. I just really need a place to stay for a night. Please." He was so tired from running all the way to the strangers fortress. Even though he ran for his life as if it was a normal thing to do now, his stamina never increased.

"No." the redhead replied as he set off the safety on the gun.

How could this person just decide to either kill him or leave him outside for the creatures to take him? He didn't do anything wrong! "Please, only for a night!" Those creatures could be coming out any minute now and Kuroko didn't want to become food today.

"I said no." the sharp voice cut through the air again, ruby red eyes locked onto the bluenette.

Kuroko took a deep breath before slowly moving closer. He didn't stop until the gun was right in front of him, almost touching his forehead. If he was going to die, he didn't want to die to those creatures. "Please..."

The redhead watched the bluenette with caution. One wrong move and he would have a bullet in his head. "Surely you must know, since you're a survivor yourself. If I let you inside, you would waste our resources. Not to mention..."

The teen tightened his grip on the gun, "What if you were to open the doors or kill us while we're asleep. Would I really want to risk my companions' safety and mine? No. Therefore, I suggest you go. Find somewhere else to go while you still can."

"I won't use any of your resources. I just don't want to die by them tonight." Kuroko admitted. He looked into the red eyes of the stranger. Even though most people would find sharp red cat eyes on a human weird, Kuroko found it fascinating.

"I only want to live, same as you. I wouldn't open the door at all, that's a fact. And I wouldn't ever kill another human but I don't think you'll believe me anyway." So when the survivor said "companions", Kuroko knew that this was a group. "Please. I'll do whatever you want me to do. I swear I won't do anything, I just don't want to die tonight."

The redhead looked into Kuroko's eyes, trying to confirm for himself if Kuroko really meant what he said. Those teal blue eyes looked back at him with as much intensity, only if not more. The teen couldn't deny it any longer. He could see it, see the desperation to survive in those eyes. The want to live.

The two stood in silence, Kuroko's heartbeat increasing with each passing second. With his life on the line, he was more than desperate. The redhead saw that, he knew those thoughts are genuine.

Slowly, the teen lowered his gun but that didn't mean that he let down his guard. The redhead slowly kneeled down to reach out for something, his eyes never leaving Kuroko. He got up with ropes in his hand.

"I'll let you in but with one condition."

"What is it?" He asked, looking down at the redhead's hand, which held the rope.

"You'll be restrained for the whole duration of your stay. We'll tie you up to a pole so you won't be able to attack us or cause harm. Any complains?" The last question wasn't really a question, but a sign that if Kuroko doesn't accept he'll be left alone to die outside.

Well, at least he'll be able to rest even if he is tied up. "Alright. I don't mind." Kuroko said with a sigh of relief.

The redhead nodded, "Turn around." Its better to restrain Kuroko's arms now so that when he comes inside, he doesn't harm anyone.

Kuroko hesitantly turned around, doing what the other survivor wanted without fighting. He saw that the sun was gone behind the buildings and he felt slightly anxious. He looked around, hoping the creatures won't come out just yet.

After tying up Kuroko's arms, the redhead grabbed Kuroko by his shoulders to lead him inside.

Kuroko let the other lead him inside and he looked around. Why was it so dark? It almost seemed like it was darker than outside. He continued looking around and almost had a heart attack when he saw eyes glowing in the dark. Was it those creatures? He knew it was almost impossible, but it was a thought that crossed his mind.

It was strange though. They were different colors instead of white like the creatures. Were they the redhead's companions?

The three pairs of eyes were yellow, green and purple. Very unusual color of eyes for a human to have but it's not like Kuroko had a choice. He was quietly led inside when the redhead stopped in his tracks. Kuroko was so alerted by those eyes looking at him from the dark to notice someone hovering above him.

The dark figure was keeping himself up on the ceiling by putting his legs on the wood. His body hovered above the bluenette when suddenly he leaned down and revealed himself beside Kuroko. "Boo!"

Kuroko was too shocked to even make a noise. His hands moved to grab his weapon but... He forgot. He can't move his arms. He looked to his side and luckily he was close enough to see the person who scared him.

They had blue hair just like him only it was a dark blue. Their eyes were the same and they had tanned skin. What the hell were they doing on the ceiling?

"Hahaha! Got you!" the tanned male jumped down from the ceiling and onto the ground beside Kuroko and the redhead. Now that he could see Kuroko clearly, something didn't click. "Oi! Why did you bring this pipsqueak in? He'll just waste our resources!"

Pipsqueak...? He was barely any shorter than the redhead behind him, he wasn't a pipsqueak! Kuroko didn't say anything despite wanting to tell the other not to be so rude. He looked away, back towards the eyes that were moving closer.

"Literally the first guest we ever had and Aominicchi scares him!" When the person who spoke got close enough, Kuroko could see that it was a blond.

"Che! Shut up Kise! For all I know we could throw you outside to those monsters! All you ever do is whine!" Aomine pointed his finger at the blonde.

"That's so mean! You guys need me!" Kise... well, whined. Okay so maybe he did whine a bit but that's no reason to kill him!

"I thought it was pretty funny~ Right Shin-chan~?" Another voice asked in the dark.

"Hmph. Don't get me involved in this nonsense." The green head tilted his glasses upwards.

Kuroko looked around and almost sighed. Well, this seemed like a close lively group. He blinked when he sensed someone else walking towards them and looked up to see who it was.

It was... a giant. They were so tall it was almost terrifying. They might even be as big as those beasts! However the tall person ignored Kuroko and looked at Akashi. "Now that Aka-chin is here, can we eat now~?" The tall purple haired giant couldn't eat much anymore due to rations so he was hungry almost all the time.

"Yes but not until I tie him up." Akashi tightened the rope on Kuroko's hands, dragging him to a pole. He got Kuroko lined up by the pole as he tied him up.

"Eh? But it doesn't look like he can fight much. Why tie him up?" Aomine approached Akashi and the bluenette that was being tied up.

"Some have used tactics like this before. They act all innocent but once you let them in, they go for the kill. Taking all of your supplies with them and leaving you in cold blood behind." Akashi tied Kuroko up tightly before walking towards the food supplies. Meanwhile Aomine decided to talk to the intruder/newbie.

"Yo! The name's Aomine Daiki. You?"

Kuroko looked over at Aomine and tilted his head, looking at the other. He blinked slightly in surprise when a few small lights turned on. Does this building have a generator? He hasn't seen a working light in so long! Good thing all the Windows and openings were completely blocked off so no one from the outside can see the light.

He focused his attention back to Aomine. "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya.." He mumbled softly, his throat parched but he didn't complain. He did say he wouldn't use their supplies. He agreed to only rest there. If he was going to rest, that redhead could have at least removed his backpack before hand. However he didn't want anyone going through his things so he didn't complain. He might not have any supplies inside, but he had his trusty weapons in there.

"Tetsuya... Tetsuya... Got it! I'll call you Tetsu from now on." Aomine smiled with pride at his great invention of a nickname. The tanned male sat down next to the bluenette, leaning his head onto his hand. "Where did you come from? Are you from Kyoto? I didn't see you before so you must have come from somewhere else."

Kuroko didn't understand why Aomine gave him a nickname if he was going to leave tomorrow. "I'm actually from Tokyo. I've never actually been in Kyoto before."

"All the way from Tokyo? Why did you travel so far? I mean everywhere is the same you know?" Aomine wondered but then he spotted Kuroko's backpack and the fact that he still had it on. "Let me have a look at that~" Aomine leaned in to take the bluenette's supplies.

"I was just moving. I had no secure shelter or supplies." Kuroko explained. When Aomine talked about his pack and leaned closer, he squirmed a little. No way was he going to let Aomine take whatever is in his bag. "You better not touch it."

With Kuroko's struggles, Aomine had a hard time taking the bag off of him. "Don't struggle geez~ It's not like I'm that type of a person. I don't wanna steal your stuff! I just thought it would be better if you don't lean on it. You might destroy some of your supplies that way!"

Kuroko still didn't want to but Aomine was right. He didn't want to break any of his weapons. Plus if he wanted to be trusted, he had to trust. He slowly stopped struggling and looked at Aomine. "Just please don't take anything out."

Aomine finally freed the bag from between the pole and the bluenette, allowing Kuroko to lean on the wood comfortably. He looked at the bag, itching to look. Letting curiosity get the better of him, Aomine opened the bag to look inside.

Kuroko watched Aomine closely, making sure the other didn't steal anything. When he heard someone approaching them, he looked over and noticed the blond from before. Wasn't his name Kise or something?

"Hey, what's that?" Kise asked, looking at the bag in Aomine's hands. He moved over quickly and sat beside Aomine. "What's in there?"

Aomine quickly moved away from Kise in response. "Go away Kise! Its none of your business!" The tanned teen searched the bag but couldn't find what he was looking for.

"But I wanna see!"

"I'd appreciate it if you'd leave my bag alone now." Kuroko said firmly, staring at Aomine. He didn't like the fact that Aomine could look through his things and he could do nothing about it.

Aomine sighed before placing the bag beside Kuroko, but not too close so he couldn't get his weapons out. He's not that stupid. "I thought you would have them Tetsu... man and here I had my hopes up."

"Them? What did you hope I had?" Kuroko asked, a little curious.

"Isn't it obvious? The thing all men carry with them." Aomine leaned in to whisper the exact object.

Kuroko stared at Aomine for a moment before trying to scoot away a little. "I'm not that perverted. I don't need that to survive anyway."

"What are you talking about? Of course it's a survival tool all men need! Those who don't will die early." Aomine sat back down. He raised his hand and pointed his finger towards his chest. "Trust me, if you stick with me you'll get far."

"What about gay people though?" Kuroko asked curiously. Most of those magazines were of women, right?

"Oh, enough about all this pervert stuff. Aominicchi! Let's go eat, I'm hungry!" Kise said, trying to urge Aomine to get up.

"No way! Tetsu are you gay?" Aomine asked, completely ignoring Kise's whining beside him. Others who were preparing dinner sighed in annoyance and Aomine's stupidity.

"I'm not gay. I'm pan." Kuroko said before sighing. He forgot that most people don't even know what that means. "Do you even know what that is?"

"Pan? I don't know." Aomine tilted his head sideways.

"Pansexual. I'm pansexual and no, I'm not attracted to pans." Kuroko said before Aomine could even ask it. "It means I don't care about looks or even gender. I like someone based on personality." Which is probably why Kuroko never dated before because no one bothered to get to know him so he never fell for anyone.

"Ohh... I think I get it. So- Awww! What was that for Midorima!" Aomine raised his voice when Midorima hit him with a pan from behind. "And what's that! Why do you have a pan!?"

"It's my lucky item for today." Midorima annoyedly answered. "Dinner's ready."

"Lucky item? Maybe Tetsu- Aww!" Being hit once again, Aomine bundled up his body into a fetal position, holding his head.

"Just get over here. We're about to eat." And with that Midorima walked back to the group.

"Lucky.. item..?"

"Midorimicchi is weird and has these lucky items." Kise said before leaning in close. "Don't tell him I told you this, but he's just really weird~ Before everything, he had lucky items for his star sign every day. But now that he can't get most of them, he sometimes pretends that one of the items we have are his lucky item." He winked playfully before getting up and heading to the group to get his food.

Kuroko just closed his eyes and sighed. Everyone there was so weird. What kind of group was this? He just kept his eyes closed and rested. He knew that if he opened his eyes, he'd see the food and it would make him even hungrier than he was now.

While everyone ate at the table, Kuroko was tied up to the post. Akashi spared a couple of glances at the bluenette but did nothing, only observed. On the other hand, Aomine was too busy stuffing himself to notice the hungry bluenette, the same could be said for Murasakibara. Kise was engaged in making light conversations with everyone, Takao did the same.

However, Midorima did see Kuroko and it bothered him. The green head suddenly stood up from the table and approached the bluenette. He went looking into Kuroko's bag, searching for an item.

Kuroko heard someone searching through his bag beside him and thought it was Aomine. However as he looked over, he noticed it was that green haired dude. "Hey.. What are you doing?"

Midorima didn't respond but instead focused on finding the item. Once he had found a bottle of water in Kuroko's bag, he took it out, opened it and raised it to Kuroko's mouth. "You should drink something. At this rate you might die of dehydration." Midorima knows the best about everyone's medical condition and could see simply by looking the condition of others. Before the apocalypse happened, Midorima aimed to become a doctor and attended a prestigious medical school. Now those skills will come handy, more than ever.

Kuroko looked at his water, his last water, before back at Midorima. He wanted to say that he was trying to conserve the last of his resources, but he decided not to. He signed before leaning up as much as he could so he can take a few sips. It would be easier if he had his hands to use but they were tied up thanks to _someone._

Akashi looked at the two from the table before sighing. He picked up a plate of food and walked up to Kuroko and Midorima. "I'll feed him. I let him inside so I'll take responsibility." Midorima nodded so when Kuroko was done drinking, Midorima stood up, put the almost empty bottle back in Kuroko's bag and walked away. Instead Akashi sat on Midorima place, taking a small piece of bread and raising it to Kuroko's mouth.

Kuroko looked at Akashi with surprise. He thought Akashi wasn't going to give him any of their supplies! He looked at his eyes hesitantly before at the piece of food. He was so hungry. He didn't want to think about how Akashi might be messing with him or something.

He leaned forward to carefully take the food into his mouth without touching Akashi's fingers. The piece was small enough to swallow as it is but Kuroko still chewed first, just to savor the taste.

While Akashi was feeding Kuroko in the sidelines, Aomine and everyone else enjoyed the night. Even though there are monsters outside, nobody seems tense or worried. Just content that they are protected and have enough supplies for everyone.

"Oi Kise! Are you gonna eat that salami?" without waiting for an answer Aomine swiftly took the salami from Kise's plate and into his mouth.

"Doesn't mean we have to steal from each other!" Kise whined aloud. He then saw someone else take from his plate but it wasn't Aomine this time. "Murasakibaricchi!"

"What~?"

"Don't steal my food!"

"But Mine-chin got to steal..."

"Doesn't mean you should do it too!"

Kuroko looked at the group before at Akashi. He ate the next piece before speaking. "Shouldn't you go settle that? Or eat with your group?" Why was Akashi sitting here with him and feeding him when he told Kuroko he was just a waste of supplies?

Akashi shoved another piece of bread into Kuroko's mouth, shutting his mouth. "The doctor of the group is concerned about your condition. I'll just give you enough to survive."

Doctor of the group? That green haired guy? Kuroko swallowed the food before he could choke and sighed softly. "I understand... Thanks though."

Another piece of bread found its way into Kuroko's mouth by Akashi who shoved it in. "Take advantage of our generosity and just eat." Akashi took a piece of salami that was on the plate but instead of giving it to Kuroko he ate it himself.

Kuroko frowned slightly but didn't speak again. Well, this redhead was a little rude... But at least he was feeding him. He just ate whatever Akashi gave him, not speaking again unless he was spoken to.

The table was a noise bomb. Everyone laughed and joked around while Kuroko and Akashi sat on the sidelines. Kuroko was given one piece of bread to eat but while he chewed, Akashi closed his eyes and leaned on the wall.

He glanced over at Akashi and sighed a little. "You know, if you want to go sit with your group, you can. Don't let me stop you." After all, he was just an unwanted guest.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow when Akashi didn't respond. Was something wrong with him? But then when he became quiet he heard it. The roars of the monsters outside could be heard. Their feet touching the ground as they walked and the sound of a snout smelling their shelter from the outside.

They all stayed completely silent and listened to hear what was out there.

"Hun.. gry.."

Kuroko shivered as he heard the word. He could barely hear it, like a whisper. But since everyone was silent, he managed to catch it. He looked around for his bag and weapons then remembered he was tied up. Well, he just had to hope that none of them get inside somehow.

Akashi stood up and walked to the now silent group. "Dinner's over. We should get some rest." Akashi suggested and everyone followed. First, however, they will need to clean up the table and put their supplies back into their bags.

Kuroko watched the group clean, trying to distract himself from the whispers outside. Luckily they disappeared and he didn't hear anymore. "Why do they always say that?" He asked himself with a small sigh. They always said they were hurt or hungry. It was scary really…

Once everyone was done cleaning, they all went to their sleeping bags. Midorima's was next to Takao, much to his annoyance, Aomine's one was positioned on one of the wooden logs on the ceiling (like some kind of a monkey), Kise was on the right side of Kuroko next to some boxes and lastly Akashi who was further away on Kuroko's left side. The loud cheerful room now became dead quiet with only the noise of the monsters that could be heard outside.

Kuroko couldn't go to sleep even though he was so tired. It was uncomfortable to fall asleep with the position he's in, plus those noises outside were so uncomfortable. He heard them many times before, but he just couldn't believe that everyone was just going to sleep. Didn't they take watches? Just in case one did somehow break in?

But unknown to Kuroko, somebody did watch the room. The reason why Kuroko didn't see it properly was because Aomine did a terrible job at it. The tanned male laid down, sparing a couple of glances below before closing his eyes again.

It was quiet for a few moments before there was Kise sitting up and chucking something at Aomine that hit the other directly on the chest. Kuroko couldn't tell what it was in the dark but it sounded heavy by Aomine's reaction. "Aominicchi! Be more on guard for once and do your job right."

"Che! You little-" Aomine covered his mouth, realizing he could have woken someone up. More specifically a certain redhead. Kise smirked and went back to sleep while Aomine cursed and got out of his comfortable bed. How is he gonna get some rest now that Kise woke him up?

Aomine sighed but noticed that Kuroko was still awake. Seeing he has nothing else to do, the tanned male approached the bluenette. "Yo Tetsu, asleep yet?"

"How can anyone sleep while they're tightly tied to a pole and hear those monsters talk outside?" Kuroko asked with a bit of irritation. "Sorry... I'm just tired. I didn't mean to snap at you."

Aomine put his hands into his pockets, surprised by Kuroko's sudden statement. "Nah~ Its fine. I get you. But what did you mean by 'talk'? You mean the sounds they make right?" Aomine sat down next to the bluenette.

Kuroko looked at Aomine like he thought the other was messing with him. "No? Well, I guess their speech is a little weird, kind of... grumbly, but I can understand. Didn't you hear the one before say it was hungry?"

"Hungry?" Aomine didn't know what to make of it but then he suddenly realized what's going on, "Oh no! Nice try Tetsu! I won't fall for it! Nice try!"

"What? I'M the one not falling for YOUR trick." Kuroko said, completely serious. "I'm not falling for your trick so please stop joking."

"Heh? What are you on about Tetsu? You're saying you can hear them talk? As in a real language? Not just growling sounds and shit?"

"Yes. Why on earth would I need to lie?" Kuroko grumbled. He didn't understand why Aomine was messing with him. "Ever since like, the first week this apocalypse started."

Aomine was at a total loss now. Was Kuroko really messing with him or is he mentally deranged? "Are you sure you're okay in the head?"

Kuroko was shocked to hear Aomine ask that. Is Aomine really not playing with him? "Of course not! But you.. weren't joking when you said you only hear them make sounds?"

"Yeah. What other sounds do monsters make other than growling?" Aomine asked the most obvious question.

"Well, I just know they were talking... Does anyone else in your group hear them?" Kuroko asked Aomine, looking around at the sleeping group members.

"Not that I know. Everyone just hears them growling... Are you sure you're okay? I mean... you must be joking right?" Aomine scratched his head.

Kuroko glanced back at Aomine. So Aomine wasn't really lying... then what was going on? Why could he hear them but no one else? "Haha... yeah... I'm only joking." He forced himself to say with a fake smile. He didn't want to be seen as a nut case when he was perfectly fine!

...

Was he fine? He thought everyone else heard them. He thought that those creatures being able to talk was normal. Was he really okay?

Aomine watched Kuroko before relaxing, "So it was a joke? Man I was this close of thinking you were mentally ill. Well, not like its uncommon with the world outside." the tanned teen turned around to lean onto the wall and sit next to Kuroko.

"Yeah.. I guess.." Kuroko mumbled, deciding not to look at Aomine. He was feeling a bit strange about what just happened. He was sure those creatures talk... Why can't anyone else hear it?

When both of them became quiet, they could hear some noises outside. It was the monsters which Aomine heard growling. "See? What did I tell you? They just growl."

Kuroko didn't answer. He tried to hear the growls but he couldn't. All he heard was "why" over and over again. He just nodded, shaking a little as he closed his eyes.

"Tetsu?" Aomine noticed Kuroko's shaking and reached out to touch the bluenette.

Kuroko actually jumped a little when Aomine touched him and winced when his skin rubbed against the ropes. Man, they really were tight and uncomfortable. "What? What is it?"

"You okay?" Aomine was now really getting concerned about the bluenette, especially since he acted so strange. But then again, a part of him was suspicious. He doesn't even know Kuroko, heck the teen could be out to kill them all. It was good thinking of Akashi to tie him up.

"I told you… I'm just tired is all." Kuroko said and sighed as he leaned against the pole.

"And here I though you would keep me company. Oh well~ Hayho~" Aomine lazily stood up and brushed off the dust from his pants. "Sleep tight then~"

"Yeah.. Night.." He wished he could ask Aomine to unite him but that would just look suspicious. He sighed and tried falling asleep. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Yeah I'm on top now :3 hehe~ Um.. yes, please enjoy this story. Just like with the last one, we worked hard on it. And sorry for the lack of lemons. A lot of people didn't like the amount of lemons we had in our last one so I guess we were just like "nah, nno lemons" in this story-

As a little side note, we know that in an apocalypse there wouldn't be fresh meat or non-stale bread. We just wrote whatever came to mind XD We tried not to go for that "always canned food" thing all apocalypse stories have XD

Please vote on the poll because still, werewolves and mermaids are tied and it would be hard to incorporate that unless we just do a whole fantasy/soulmate story. Oh, would anyone also like to suggest one shot ideas? We won't mind one shot ideas c:

Please enjoy the story and stay tuned every week c: there will be this story and extras for the Love Behind Glasses story :D

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello everyone and welcome to our new story! We began working on this while still writing 'Love Behind The Glasses' because we couldn't wait to start working on a new project XD I just want to warn you... There will be character death AND there will be no lemon. I know the story is Rated M but that's because of cursing and other things I can't mention because of spoilers. We will be updating this weekly, just like our previous story :)

Ummm... *thinks of what else to say*... Ah! We didn't begin working on the story from the poll (the one on our profile) BUT Werewolves and Mermaids are tied so please vote for which one you would like us to write about :) Soulmates is leading so far so we might incorporate that with the second winner :)

Thank you so much for reading our previous story and we really hope you'll stick with us for this one as well :) I hope you liked this chapter :) See you next week with a new one~ And please don't forget to review :D We need your important feedback :) Bye~

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	2. File 02

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Slowly Kuroko began waking up to the morning light. He had a hard time opening his eyelids, which felt like rocks on his face. What's more, when waking up, he heard someone talking.

"But that's what he said! I found it weird too!"

"But that's impossible..!"

"Sounds like the stranger Aka-chin picked up is nuts~"

Stranger... Didn't that mean Kuroko? The boy opened his eyes a bit more and saw the group sitting where the rations were. They were having breakfast but no one was eating strangely.

"I know its weird but he really said he could hear them talk! I thought he was hit in the head or something!" Aomine stressed to get his point across.

"Sounds ridiculous." Midorima tilted his glasses upwards while Takao was holding in giggles, finding it hard to believe Aomine.

However, Akashi's reaction was very different from everyone else. While everybody either found it hard to believe or laughed at the thought, Akashi remained calm.

"Well I'm sorry if it sounds so ridiculous." Kuroko suddenly said aloud, almost glaring at the group. It's one thing to wake up tired and having your body hurt from behind forced to sleep tied up tightly to a pole, but to wake up to people talking about you? That was just adding more wood to the fire.

"Tetsu! This isn't what it looks like!" Aomine got up from his seat.

"So it doesn't look like you telling everyone how crazy I sound? Or am I just imagining this whole thing because I'm a nut case?" Kuroko asked with an angry frown. As if he was going to believe that.

"It's not..." Aomine was startled when somebody placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Aomine is right. We all discussed your behavior to see if you tried anything last night. While talking, Aomine remembered what you told him before, about hearing the monsters talk. An unusual trait but its understandable in the conditions we're in." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"It could always be worse... At least he didn't talk or even scream all night or something. Or say he sees things?" Kise suggested.

Kuroko looked at Kise but didn't respond. He looked away and sighed. He couldn't believe Aomine talked about him like this... "Sorry for... getting mad." He apologized as he looked back at the group. He didn't want to seem like a bad guy in their eyes.

"Apology accepted, although you have to remember that we're strangers. For all we know you may really be deranged. We just met yesterday so don't expect us to trust you. Actually, we'll have you leave now." Akashi and everyone else seemed alert. After all, who is really Kuroko?

Kuroko looked at the group, at the supplies, then back at the group. He knew they didn't trust him but... He wanted to stay. They had supplies and people to watch each other's back. After Ogiwara died, he's been all alone. It's always trying to fight alone. Trying to find supplies alone. Being alone is horrible because you're too paranoid to even get proper sleep needed to survive.

"I... I know I'm a stranger and you now see me as a deranged being but... please give me a chance." He said, looking at Akashi. "I know it's a lot to ask but please just give me a chance. I'll do whatever you make anyone else do. I'll search for supplies so you don't think I'm a waste of rations. I'll take night shifts so you know you can trust me. Just.. at least give me a chance?"

A chance? The group was conflicted on what to do. Some of them don't see Kuroko as a threat but some of them do. "I think he should go. It would be one more person to care for." Midorima was the first to give his thoughts out.

"Let him stay. He doesn't look like a bad guy, well, apart from the 'hearing monsters talk' thing." Aomine supported Kuroko and really wanted him to stay. He just got a new friend and he was gonna leave already? What's more Kuroko looks really fragile. It's a surprise that he managed to survive on his own all this time.

"Yeah, and I'm tired of having to take over Aominicchi's shift when he's not doing a good job!" It wasn't the only reason but Kise just wanted to lighten up the mood.

"But he'll have to eat and that takes up food~" Murasakibara complained as he looked Akashi. The redhead knew how much he loved food. It was bad enough he barely got to eat as much as he wanted anymore.

Kuroko didn't speak but just stared at Akashi. He didn't want to be alone any more and he'll probably do anything to stay. He wished he could say this but he wasn't that desperate yet.

"Takao?" Akashi asked the opinion of the last member before making a decision.

"Hmm? Isn't it obvious? Since Shin-chan doesn't want him here, I decided that I want him here~" Takao said playfully before getting a little serious. "But really.. I guess I don't mind. Even if he does try something, there's like what, 7 people here? We can handle it."

Akashi nodded, making his decision as well. "We'll have him stay with us."

"Yes!" Aomine jumped in joy, running up to Kuroko to hug him.

Kuroko sighed in relief, even if Aomine did hug his incredibly sore body. "I'm not being rude, but please don't hug me while I'm still tied down... The ropes still hurt."

"Opps! Sorry" Aomine backed away while the others were still coming to terms with Akashi's decision.

"But Akashi how can we trust him? If its trust then he'll have to earn it." Midorima sure as hell isn't gonna let Kuroko night patrol without him obtaining his trust first. What if he betrays them during the night and opens the doors for all of the beasts to eat them?

"I agree. Trust is something a person has to earn with time, and that's why he'll have to work for it. Since we'll be scavenging for food in the morning, I'll have him accompany Kise on his gathering."

"Finally! Hopefully he's someone who isn't lazy like Aominicchi!" Kise cried out in relief.

"I'll do my best." Kuroko was still so glad that they were at least giving him a chance. Now maybe he won't be alone any longer.

With everyone decided, Akashi told Aomine to untie Kuroko's ropes. Once Kuroko was freed, Akashi proceeded to brief everyone on what to do, but not before introducing themselves. "I believe we haven't introduced ourselves properly. My name's Akashi Seijuro. The one in charge. This is..." Akashi pointed to Aomine.

"Yeah, yeah~ I'm Aomine Daiki. We already introduced ourselves." Aomine poked his nose.

"Midorima Shintarou. Star sign: Cancer, Age: 16 years old, Height-"

"Okay, okay! Geez you don't have to give him the details!" Aomine face palmed while Takao giggled, annoying the green head.

"What's so funny Takao?"

"Shin-chan is always so weird, even if an apocalypse started!" Takao said with a teasing grin.

"I'm Kise! Kise Ryouta!" Kise introduced but pouted when no one said anything. They all looked at Murasakibara who grumbled a little.

"Aka-chin, do I have to~?"

"Yes." Akashi answered immediately.

"...Murasakibara Atsushi.." Murasakibara sighed and didn't look at Kuroko.

"Well it's… nice to meet everyone." Kuroko said as he stood up. He stretched a little to relieve his sore body. It really did hurt. "I don't know if you all already know so I'll just say it again. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. I hope you all accept me soon."

"I hope so too, for your sake." Akashi looked at Kuroko before looking back at the group. All of them gathered into a circle, looking at a map that Akashi took out from his bag.

"We'll split up into teams. Kuroko and Kise will head east to this area. I'll have Aomine not far off from that location should Kuroko decide to attack Kise." Akashi then shifted his attention to other locations on the map.

"Midorima and Takao will head west while Murasakibara will cover the south area. Lastly, I'll go north. Any objections?"

Everyone shook their heads, including Kuroko (even though the didn't like the part where Akashi said he might attack Kise). No wonder why the redhead was the leader besides being the shortest. Well, he was the shortest until Kuroko joined.

Akashi seemed like a good leader and everyone respected him. Is this a group of people who met up thanks to the apocalypse or were they friends before hand?

"Now everyone knows their locations. We shouldn't waste time. We only have 12 hours of sunlight to gather supplies, that includes food, water, clothing, anything that will help us. Everyone has five hours to search, after that we'll meet up back here. Dismissed." Akashi concluded their little meeting, sending everyone on their way. Since the monsters only attack at night, everyone should be safe. The only possible danger they could potentially face are other survivors searching for supplies themselves.

Aomine took his time to begin. He put his bag on his shoulder before approaching Kuroko. "Good luck newbie. Not only for searching but also with Kise. I don't know how you'll survive his whining~ See you around!" and with that Aomne took off to his location.

"Don't listen to him! We'll do great!" Kise said, slinging an arm over Kuroko's shoulders. The boy immediately moved away to go to his bag and make sure all of his weapons were there. Kise pouted and followed him.

While Kuroko was checking his supplies, Kise was saying goodbye to every one and wishing them luck until Akashi was the last one. The redhead couldn't leave since he was always the last one to exit. "We'll do our best Akashicchi!"

"I wish you luck." Akashi put the map into his bag and all the other necessities he will need for his search.

Kuroko and Kise set out quickly to go to the destination Akashi picked. It was right on the border of the city, near the forest. Kise told him that they don't go there much since the forest is good cover for people who want to ambush others. However there haven't been any attacks for a few weeks so that's probably why Akashi is sending them out there.

They spent a good while searching the buildings on the outskirts of the city. Kise wasn't too suspicious of Kuroko and the latter didn't make any moves to kill Kise. Why would he? He would never take another human beings life. They needed to work together in times like this, not kill each other off.

Eventually they decided to split up to search so it'll be faster. They stayed close though in case someone suddenly attacked either one of them. As Kuroko walked back to the building they both decided to meet up at, he was thinking about the group. They seemed okay. A few of them didn't like him straight away but that was expected. He couldn't win everyone's trust just like that after all.

He saw Kise waiting at the building but that didn't make him speed up his walk. It was what was a little ways away from Kise. It looked like some kind of small animal from the distance. Maybe a dog? He hasn't seen many animals recently so it was a big shock.

"Hey, come look at what I found!" Kise said once Kuroko arrived. He pointed to the canine like creature who was sitting innocently. For some reason it didn't look like any dog Kuroko's seen and he's seen a lot of dogs. He didn't remember dogs having jet-black fur and clear white eyes... Were their teeth always that big? Why did it seem so familiar...?

"...That's not a dog." Kuroko said in realization and stepped back. Kise was shocked when Kuroko quickly pulled out an already loaded crossbow. "You can't shoot it! It's just a-" Kise cut himself off which a squeak of shock. The canine like creature growled heavily as soon as the bow was pointed at it. "You're scaring him!"

"He's one of those creatures! Can't you see?" Kuroko asked, never taking his eyes off the dog. Why was one out in daylight? And why is it a dog no less? He watched it snarl one more time before charging at them. It may not be big but it was fast. It dodged Kuroko's first shot but Kuroko dodged its first pounce. However he didn't move away fast enough and the creature immediately locked its jaws on his leg. He felt the teeth go deep into his skin and he tried not to cry out or even scream.

Before he could even reload his crossbow, Kise suddenly stepped on the dogs back and made it let go with a yelp. It turned to Kise and snarled. That was when Kuroko saw his chance and shot the dog in the neck once his bow was reloaded. He fell down and whined, writhing on the ground. It was a pitiful sight to see.

"He looks like he's crying.." Kise frowned as he watched the dog suffer. Kuroko sighed softly and turned to get his arrow from before. He winced and nearly fell when he put pressure on the ankle the creature bit. He slowly picked up the arrow and by the time he turned back, the dog was motionless.

"Let's get going.."

"Your leg!" Kise suddenly yelled.

They couldn't see his leg through his pants but the blood was clearly obvious. It was already soaking the bottom of his pant leg. "We need to get you to the shelter. Someone should be there by the time we get back." Kise said as he moved over to Kuroko's bad side. He moved Kuroko's arm over his shoulder and helped the other walk.

The journey was slow and luckily they didn't run into any more of those weird animal creatures. When they arrived to the shelter, they knocked and hoped at least one person already returned.

Cautiously the doors opened to reveal Midorima standing behind it. "Why are you here so-" Midorima immediately noticed Kuroko's injury, making him open the doors completely so that Kise could carry the wounded Kuroko inside.

Takao who sat on one of the boxes in the hideout was startled and surprised to see Kuroko so wounded. The raven head moved so that he's not in the way while Midorima and Kise carried Kuroko and lay him onto a sleeping bag.

"What's the damage?" Midorima asked, tearing apart Kuroko's pants in the area where the wound is.

Kuroko winced a little but didn't show any other signs of pain. "Dog creature... bigger teeth... daylight?" With the loss of blood, it was kind of hard for Kuroko to think.

"It looks pretty bad." Takao commented beside Midorima.

"We thought we found a dog but it turned out to be one of those creatures!" Kise explained since Kuroko couldn't. "So that's why his leg is even worse than a normal dog bite because this one had big teeth! And it was out in the /daylight/!"

"What? A creature active in daylight? Impossible!" Midorima just couldn't believe that would be true, after all, the creatures are active at night!

"It was a creature! We both saw it, not just him! It did attack us and it looked just like those creatures but it looked like a dog." Kise said quickly. "When Akashicchi comes back, we have to show him. I remember where it is. This means we have to be on guard during the day too!"

Midorima weighted the odds but still found Kise hard to believe, but then again there could possibly be daylight creatures out there. The apocalypse happened so suddenly and they're only coming to know the characteristics of their new world. However, that's not important right now. Midorima has his duty to do and he intends to do it properly!

"Kise bring me some water! Takao, I need my medical kit backpack! Hurry!"

Takao and Kise both ran off to get Midorima what he needed. They both returned at the same and gave Midorima the water and backpack.

Kuroko looked around before up at Midorima. He covered his eyes a little, groaning softly as he felt hands touch his leg. "Tired.."

"Whatever you do just don't sleep! Kise, keep him occupied!" Midorima focused on the injury. The teen has lost a considerable amount of blood so if he fell asleep now he could potentially die.

Midorima took out his medical equipment, not wasting any time to tend to Kuroko's injuries.

Kuroko heard what Midorima said and frowned. "But I'm tired.." He mumbled before wincing at the pain in his leg.

While Takao stayed by Midorima's side, helping him with anything that needs to be done, Kise started talking to Kuroko. "Why don't you... Uh... Why don't you tell us what you think about us? Tell us what you think about Aominicchi and everyone!"

After hearing about Aomine, Kuroko started mumbling about how much of a pervert Aomine was. Then he started talking about everyone else, how he was sure Murasakibara disliked him, how Akashi was such a cool leader and so on. "I'm sure that.. Midorima guy hates me since I'm new and a waste of supplies... but I think he's nice.. His friend is too.."

"By friend, does he mean me?" Takao asked but got no response from anyone.

"Of course I won't accept you so easily idiot! You will have to live on and fight for it! Keep going Kise!" Midorima, now a bit annoyed, still tried to focus on his job. He was almost done, just a bit more.

"Uh.. Hobbies! What did you do before all this?" Kise asked curiously, holding onto Kuroko's hand.

"Reading and-"

"Reading? Boring~"

"Reading.. is fun!" Kuroko argued, closing his eyes tiredly but he kept talking. "And basketball.. Basketball is fun too."

"I used to play basketball too!" Kise said and the two kept talking back and forth about basketball until Midorima finally finished tending to Kuroko's leg.

Midorima tiredly sighed when he finished bandaging Kuroko's leg. He had cleaned the wound and properly disinfected it. Now all that's left to do is to wait for the wound to heal completely.

"Done." Midorima started putting his precious equipment back into his bag. If he were to lose something, it would be hard to replace or even find another one. They're barely finding food so medical items would be even harder to find.

"We'll wait for Akashi and the rest to return. How are you feeling Kuroko?"

"I'm still tired.." Kuroko sighed as he slightly opened his eyes to glance at Midorima. "Thank you though.."

"Don't sleep yet. Here, I'll give you some water." Midorima ruffled through his bag to get his bottle of water. He raised it to Kuroko's mouth to let the teen drink. While the bluenette drank, Midorima smiled. "You welcome."

"Shin-chan is actually smiling!" Takao teased as soon as he saw the tsundere smile.

Midorima didn't say anything but hit Takao on the head. "I didn't. Now be quiet or make yourself useful. Keep Kuroko up till Akashi arrives."

"How cruel Shin-chan." Takao pouted then looked at Kuroko's treated leg. "Is he allowed to walk? How long until he's allowed to walk?"

"At least for a week. The injury was deep so he'll take some time to recover." Also... seeing the injury, there's no way a normal dog was the cause of it…

Kuroko heard "week" and "recover" and shook his head. "No.. I can't be useless when I just joined.." He mumbled and tried sitting up but Kise stopped him.

"Just rest, okay? You're injured, it's understandable!" If Kise went alone and found that dog, he probably wouldn't be here now. Even if he did, he would probably be more torn up than Kuroko. "I can't believe I didn't see that it wasn't a normal dog. I was just so excited to finally see an animal!"

Midorima sighed out of annoyance; Kise can be really stupid sometimes along with a certain tanned member. Hopefully the group would arrive soon but seeing as they still have an hour till meeting up it was going to be a long wait.

The hour slowly passed and members were showing up one by one. First it was Murasakibara who had found a large amount of bread, then it was Aomine who gathered lots of water in bottles and lastly Akashi who found some electronic devices, hopefully working.

"What happened!?" Aomine raised his voice and kneeled next to Kuroko. "Oi Tetsu! You okay?"

"I'm alright." Luckily Kuroko was more like himself but he was still exhausted. "We had a little.. trouble."

"It was a creature! In daylight!" Kise said. "But it was like a dog. Not one of the big ones." He continued so it was hopefully less confusion.

"Don't joke around Kise! Those monsters only move about in the night!"

"It's true!" Kise said before pointing to Kuroko's leg. "No normal dog can do that! Besides, have you seen any animals around here? It wasn't some normal animal, it was one of those creatures! I can even show you where it is!"

Aomine had a hard time believing Kise just like the rest but smirked when Kise mentioned that he can show him where it was. "Deal! Let's do some hunting blondie!" Aomine stormed to the doors but was stopped by Akashi.

"Not so fast Aomine. We should stay here. We have to sort out our supplies."

"But the monster is still out there! We should take the chance to learn something new!" Aomine was sincere when he said he wanted to learn something new but the inner need to hunt the creature down was stronger. They've all been cooped up in this shelter for a while. Aomine is itching to get some action!

"Not when you see what I've discovered. This will change everything."

"What did you find Akashicchi?" What could change everything more than creatures during the day?

Kuroko slowly sat up, careful of his leg. He thanked Takao who helped him sit up.

Akashi showed the tablet device to his companions, "I've found a recording you'll all be interested to see." Akashi turned the black tablet to himself again so that he could find the file and play it. Once he pressed the 'play' button, a blurry image of white lab coats appeared on the screen.

The loud video surprised everyone but not because of the scientists but because everyone looked like they were running for their lives. The alarm was switched on as all of the scientists evacuated in a hurry. However, one man took his time to record the video the group was watching, while packing his things in hurry.

"L-Log 43... S-Subject 4 has escaped along with many others..." the quality of the video worsened. "T-The only way to stop them is to activate... bzzz... bzzz. Activate the... bzzz... bzzz.. the four devices are located in Kyoto...bzzz... Tokyo... bzzz… Mt Fuji and... bzzzzz... Anyone who finds this video... bzzzz... please forgive us... bzzzz... subject 4... we created a mon...bzzzz... he is... bzzzz... Please find the devices and stop the subjects from destroying the world! only by killing subject 4...bzzzz... can you save... world... WAAAAA!"

... END OF RECORDING.

Everyone stared at the tablet with mixed emotions. No one knew how to react to the video. It was confusing yet gave so much information.

"...So there's actually a way to stop them?" Kise finally spoke up to get rid of the silence. "With some kind of device we have to find in four places? And what is subject 4?"

Kuroko was still quiet. Why did that sound so familiar... Subject 4…

"I don't know but we finally have a way of killing those monsters. Although the location of the last device is missing. Perhaps we could find more clues when we find the other three? Luckily the first device is here in Kyoto." Akashi theorised but he doesn't remember seeing anything resembling a scientific device.

"How are we even going to find the first device?" Takao asked from beside Kuroko who was still thinking. He was certain that he's heard about subject 4 before... where was it?

"Ah, I remember!" Kuroko suddenly said, startling a few of the group members. "About a month ago I saw a paper kind of like that. It was all burned up and hard to read since it had ash on it, but I remember reading about a subject 4 escaping."

"'Subject 4'? Escape?" Midorima processed the new information but still had to be cautious. Kuroko is a new member who cannot be completely trusted. All Midorima could rely on right now was the tape. "Perhaps 'Subject 4' is the main monster?" Midorima voiced his thoughts out, earning a nod from Akashi.

"From what I can say about the tape, Subject 4 definitely seems as the main monster or perhaps the source of the chaos." Akashi put his hand on his chin, he was in deep thought.

While everyone was working their brains out, Aomine had a headache coming, "'Subject 4', devices, can someone tell me what's happening? I don't get it at all."

"I don't either... It's so confusing." Kise pouted as he crossed his arms, trying to think.

Kuroko looked around before sighing. He didn't know what to think either. All he could think about is subject 4. If it was the main monster, maybe it's kind of like an alpha? Or a leader of a pack? "They said we have to kill subject 4 to destroy the monsters but... does it kill all of them or will the monsters just be without a leader?"

"I'm not sure but this is the best lead we have. We should follow it and hope it kills all of the monsters. The scientist said it himself, if we activate the devices then we'll kill them all." Akashi didn't feel right about all of this but what else do they have? Will they rot here for the rest of their lives? Or will they take action and try to make everything right?

"If Subject 4 is the leader then why not go after him? If the leader is down then the rest are done for! Let's hunt it down! Right Kise?" Aomine enthusiastically said now that he understood what is going on even if a little bit.

"Yeah! So we don't have to live in fear anymore!" Kise agreed, just as energetic as Aomine. "Oh, Akashicchi! Should I show you that creature now?"

"Of course! Let's hunt it down!" Aomine put his backpack on and Kise with him. They were about to head out the doors before Akashi stopped them.

"And where do you plan to hunt for Subject 4?" Akashi wasn't gonna let the two idiots walk away and kill themselves. Not when they've survived for so long.

"Where? Where... ummm." Aomine realised he had no leads even though he's itching to go out to hunt.

"Exactly. We need to come up with a plan. We will need to find the device in Kyoto and then travel to the other mentioned locations. We can't go out without thinking."

"Isn't there anything else in the video that can help us? To locate the device here in Kyoto?" Takao asked. "We've been scavenging this place for almost over a month and we only just now found that video. How are we going to find some kind of device? We don't even know what it looks like!"

Everyone looked down in thought. Do they even have a chance of survival? Takao was right, they've been here since the apocalypse began, and they saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Eventually Akashi sighed, they'll need to eat and rest before anything else and its getting dark outside. "We should eat first. We can discuss what to do during dinner."

Kuroko felt a bit disappointed since every one seemed down. With the new information about the device and day creatures, everyone must be so confused. They finally got a chance to make things right but they don't even know where to start...

Well, at least he wasn't tied to the pole anymore and had to have people feed him. But he still couldn't join them for dinner due to his injury... Great. Even though he's in the group now, he's still left out.

Everyone sat beside the table and began to eat but before Akashi could sit down he spotted the bluenette struggling to stand up. Was he even planning to join them? Out of pity, Akashi approached the newbie and kneeled down beside him.

"I'll help you up. You'll join us for dinner right?"

Kuroko looked at Akashi before smiling softly. "I wanted to join you guys but your friend told me not to walk on it for about a week…"

"If its with support then I don't think Midorima will have any complains. I'll help you up." Akashi stood next to the bluenette to support him on the side that his wounded leg is on. Kuroko leaned onto Akashi as the redhead helped him to the table.

"Thank you." Kuroko said with a sigh of relief. He finally gets to join the group for dinner and won't feel left out. He sat down by Midorima and Akashi's spot with Akashi's help. The reason why he was placed between them was because they had to make sure Aomine or Kise didn't accidentally hurt his leg during their arguments.

"I keep telling you for the last time! Dragons don't breath blue fire but red fire! That's why you have bananas for brains!" Aomine pointed his plastic fork at Kise.

"But if the flames were hot enough, they could be blue!" Kise argued back.

"...What conversation did we just walk into?" Kuroko asked in confusion.

"You'll get used to it." Akashi poured some water into his cup to drink. On Kuroko's other side, Midorima sighed in annoyance. When Takao was about to add his thoughts, Midorima immediately put his hand over his mouth. "Don't you dare say something Takao."

Takao pouted. It was rude to interrupt people, something Midorima always told him not to do. He opened his mouth and bit one of Midorima's fingers. It wasn't hard enough to hurt but more like a warning.

Midorima immediately pulled away, flinching from the pain. He let a short sound of pain before blowing onto his finger. Aomine and Kise had immediately stopped their fighting to look at what's going on. Aomine's reaction; he immediately burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Nice Takao! High five!" Aomine and Takao high fived while Midorima was getting more and more annoyed. "T-A-K-A-O!"

"You asked for it Shin-chan!" Takao said. "You always said don't interrupt people but what did you do? I just merely returned the favor~"

Midorima clenched his teeth in annoyance. "I've had it with you, you and you!" pointing to Takao, Aomine and Kise. The green head stood up from the table, holding his plate and cup in hands. "I'll eat somewhere else!" the doctor of the group stormed away, but earned some giggles when he realised that he couldn't go outside, or anywhere for the matter. Frustratingly, Midorima sat beside one of the boxes and ate, at least he wasn't at the table where the idiots are.

"Don't mind him. He's just a big tsundere." Takao said as he moved to sit by Kuroko.

"Has he done this before?" Kuroko was worried that Midorima might get seriously mad and do something he might regret.

"Don't worry-" Aomine bit into his piece of meat, "Don't worry Tetsu. Just like Takao said, he's a tsundere." without Kise noticing, Aomine sneakily took one piece of his meat.

"Okay.." Kuroko looked over at Midorima. He wanted to see if he was alright, but it's not like he can just get up and walk over. So he just looked at his food and began to eat quietly as he listened to Kise and Aomine's arguments.

Everyone was just enjoying dinner, even Kuroko who wasn't completely used to the weird arguments. However as everyone ate and talked, Kuroko's thoughts were beginning to drift somewhere else until a certain sound brought it back.

"So.."

He paused and looked around.

"Loud.. so.. und.."

Was that from outside?

"Guys. Shush for a minute."

"But-!"

"Quiet!" Kuroko whispered firmly and listened closer now that everyone was quiet. There weren't even any roars outside yet which was odd. He continued listening before slowly looking behind them at the wall. Kuroko didn't say anything as Aomine quietly questioned him on what he's doing.

"I think... One is-" He was cut off when suddenly the ground shook as something heavy ran into the wall from the outside. "One's right outside."

"Damn!" Aomine cursed as he quickly ran to get his bag, everyone else doing the same to get their weapons.

"Prepare for the worst!" Akashi's eyes didn't leave the area where the creature hit but everyone became confused when the attack suddenly stopped. Was it gone?

They waited for a few moments just to make sure. Just when they were about to let their guard down, there was another shake and more cracks appeared in the wall.

Luckily it was just as Kuroko moved out the way when a part of the wall suddenly broke open and out came one of those creatures, practically screaming "hungry" and "food". It even made Kuroko cover his ears.

Everyone was startled but also somewhat scared now that there's a hole in their roof. Now even more creatures could come inside! They will have to evacuate and find somewhere else to hide!

"Take our your weapons!" and everyone did. They surrounded the creature while Midorima and Akashi helped Kuroko up. "We'll have to evacuate."

They'll maybe relocate to a building they had just for emergencies and by day, half the team will fix the wall and the other half search for food and the device? /

"Where will we go?" Kuroko asked. He really hated the fact that he was slowing Akashi and Midorima down because he was injured. On his first day of being in the group, he gets injured and they are all attacked. What a great combination. He heard roars this time from the creature but he didn't want to look over.

"Shit!" Aomine cursed when the attack of the monster almost hit him. Luckily Takao was there to cover for him while he recovered. Aomine smirked as he took out his gloves from his bag. However, those weren't ordinary gloves...

"Move away blondie!" Aomine ran towards the creature, Kise jumping away before Aomine hit the monster with his first, sending it flying to the wall.

Kuroko looked over when he heard the noise and stared in surprise. How...? He looked at Aomine's gloves. Did they do that? How?

He almost made a noise of surprise when he was suddenly picked up. He looked up, thinking it was another monster but it was just Murasakibara. "Aka-chin, should I take him to the emergency shelter~?" How could Murasakibara be so calm? They were being attacked!

Akashi nodded, "Take him there. We'll handle the monster before joining you." Suddenly another monster jumped down from the roof. "Make that monsters." Akashi rolled up his sleeves while Midorima ran a hand through his hair.

"Go!" Akashi said before he and Midorima took off running towards the action.

Murasakibara nodded and moved quickly so they didn't get in the way of the fighting. He picked up both of their bags before heading to the entrance of the shelter. He peeked outside and when he saw that it was clear, he ran to the left immediately and down an alley. He made it to a door that almost wasn't even noticeable at first in the dark. He carefully opened it while still holding Kuroko who was now holding the bags. When Murasakibara saw it was safe, he got inside and closed the door behind him.

Kuroko looked around the room as Murasakibara sat him down. It was a small room but it might be big enough to fit all of them. There wasn't any supplies inside though so that just left more room for everyone when they come. If they come... Kuroko tried not to think like that and stayed silent as he waited, hopeful that they'll all return safely.

"Oi blondie! Make yourself useful for once!" Aomine sent another monster flying to Kise's direction.

Kise got ready to face the monster Aomine hit towards him with nothing but bare hands. That was until a glove much like Aomine's formed in his hand and he hit the monster out of the room through the hole they barged through. "Even when we're fighting, Aominicchi is so mean!"

"Whining again?" Aomine sent another monster flying before jumping up on the ceiling for another hit. Meanwhile Midorima hid himself beside the boxes taking out his weapon. A white crossbow with special bows that come back to him upon killing the enemy. Midorima fired, killing the new monsters that came in through the hole.

While Midorima shot, Takao was close to Midorima's side. That's how it was when they fought. Midorima focused on shooting long distances while Takao stayed close to defend Midorima. Like a duo or team or two.

"One, two, three... four, five! Wohoo! I got five so far! Kise how's your end?" Aomine enthusiastically asked while hitting another monster with his fist.

"No fair! I only get the ones you're too lazy to handle!" Kise whined. He jumped when he felt a thump behind him and looked back. Akashi was there with a motionless creature under him. "Thank you Akashicchi!"

"Don't slack off. There are more to come. We'll have to make our escape soon." The creatures will just keep coming and coming while their side is losing stamina with time. What's more... what could Akashi do with a plain gun? The truth is that all of his companions had powerful modified weapons given to them by their parents. How their parents got their hands on the weapons is unknown but its proving to be a big factor contributing to their survival.

With only five bullets left, Akashi knows he will just become a hindrance once they run out. They'll have to retreat. "Everyone! Retreat!"

Hearing the call for retreat, both Aomine and Kise carefully turned to run towards the doors as did Akashi. The plan was that Midorima would continue shooting as the group moved out the door while Aomine and Kise took the front so they could knock away any creatures that blocked their path to the emergency shelter.

The group reunited and ran towards the shelter, knocking out any monsters that either attacked them or stood in their way. So close, close... They ran towards the door that Murasakibara opened, waiting for them to enter. Once everyone ran inside, the giant closed the doors, preventing the monsters from entering. Hopefully the doors would hold out till the morning.

The group sighed in relief, now safe. "Man that was something~" Aomine threw himself down on the floor tiredly while others walked up the stairs to the room where Kuroko is. "Oi! Don't leave me behind!"

"Guess this means you have first shift with Murasakibaricchi~" Kise teased as they went upstairs.

"Did everyone make it?" Kuroko asked as soon as they came into the room. "Where Aomine-san?"

"Reflecting on his stupidity." Midorima answered before seating himself onto the floor. He let out a tired sigh. Everyone did.

"He'll have the first shift. He's downstairs." Akashi answered the question realistically in case Kuroko would get concerned on where Aomine really is.

Kuroko sighed in relief and nodded. "I'm glad everyone made it out..." He still felt useless since he couldn't move or help much with his leg.

Akashi looked around the room. Nothing seems to be amiss so hopefully they'll be able to rest a bit. Since they already ate, they should get some sleep.

The room, or more appropriately a small flat, contains some blankets, which the group prepared beforehand. This is their emergency hideout and to be used in situations like this one. Akashi approached the wall, taking out a couple of bricks to reveal storage space. The room is very small with no furniture at all, plus they have to hide their resources from other survivors as well.

The redhead handed everyone a blanket before settling down himself. "Let's get some rest."

While everyone settled down, Kuroko made sure he had his water by him. Midorima told him before to stay hydrated and Murasakibara was nice enough to go into Kuroko's pack and give him his water before lazily laying down. He lied down with his blanket, sighing softly. Tonight was really eventful and even though he didn't do anything, he was tired.

Midorima switched off the light switch that was beside him before everyone slowly fell asleep. Well except for poor Aomine who had the first shift.

A few hours passed into the night and nothing happened. Nothing broke in and no fights happened. Everyone just slept peacefully. Well, almost everyone.

Kuroko was sweating and squirming in his blanket. He was having a nightmare and when he had a nightmare, it was always the same; Ogiwara dying over and over while blaming Kuroko. He knew his best friend would never blame him but it still scares him.

Suddenly he jolted awake which made him wince in pain due to his leg. He looked around to make sure he still wasn't in the painful nightmare. When he saw the group, he sighed and slowly laid back down. That last attack must've triggered the nightmare...

He slowly turned so he could get his water but stopped immediately once he saw Akashi sleeping beside him. He was sweating too and slightly shifting under his blanket. Was he having a nightmare too? He placed his hand on Akashi's shoulder, trying to shake him awake.

The redhead did wake up but not the way Kuroko expected. Akashi immediately opened his eyes once Kuroko touched him, pinning the bluenette down in reaction. His red eyes were sharp and alert, while both of his hands found their way to Kuroko's neck. Everything happened in a split of a second.

Kuroko immediately brought his hands to Akashi's arms, panicking for a second. He did not expect Akashi to act like this. He looked up at the other with confusion and slight fear before noticing something. Was Akashi's left eye always slightly less red than the other? The thought left his mind as quickly as it came when he remembered his situation. "A-Akashi-san.." He whispered, moving a little under Akashi.

Kuroko noticed Akashi suddenly flinch, as if something snapped and the other came back to his senses, which he did. He relaxed his hands, looking at Kuroko but at the same time it felt that he didn't. Even though he looked at Kuroko, it seemed as if his thoughts were somewhere else completely. "Sorry." The redhead moved away to sit beside the bluenette.

"I must have startled you." Akashi wiped the sweat away from his forehead.

Kuroko still watched Akashi warily and just nodded. "You looked like you were having a nightmare so I thought I could... I'm sorry if I scared you or something."

"It's fine." Akashi placed his right hand on his right eye. He covered himself with his blanket before standing up. "Aomine must be tired, I'll switch with him." He walked out to the staircase before turning to Kuroko again, "I apologize." Akashi went downstairs. Finding it hard to sleep with the nightmare so he decided to patrol instead.

Kuroko watched after Akashi but didn't say anything. He just got a drink like his original plan was and tried to relax afterwards. Eventually he got to sleep even though he was worried that Akashi might do something like that again. Akashi moved so fast, Kuroko didn't even realize what was happening until he felt the hands on his throat. Well, no sense in worrying about it. He needed some sleep, especially after his nightmare.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** We're quite lucky aren't we? Posting on Sei's birthday, Tetsuya;s birthday, and now Valentine's day? We are geniuses aren't we? C: um, please enjoy the story. And if it gets confusing, things will be explained, I promise c:

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** HAPPY VALENTINE EVERYONE! *gives everyone a red rose* :D Thank you so much for reading the 2nd chapter and thank you so much for your lovely reviews :) *is tired so will write a short note* I really hope you liked this chapter :) See you next week.

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	3. File 03

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Finally morning came and with it the end of night. Some of the group members already got up and went to see what survived in their original hideout. While Akashi and Kise were tasked with that job, the others slowly came to their senses. They were still shocked by yesterday's events and the fact that the monsters have so easily broken inside. This raised many flags about the reliability of the hideout. It may not be as strong as everyone thought it was.

There was only small talk every so often and it made every one uncomfortable. No one knew what to say or do until Akashi got back. The silence was unbearable.

Suddenly Kuroko remembered something and looked to Aomine who was resting against a wall. "Last night... What were those gloves? They seemed... really powerful."

"Huh?" Aomine thought about it for a while but didn't have a specific answer. "Well... They give me this weird power. I feel like I could take on an army of those monsters with them. They're really cool."

"Really? Where did you get them from?" Kuroko asked, now curious.

"I got them from my dad. He gave them to me one day out of the blue. I didn't really know what to do with them until I figured out what they're used for. I'm really glad I didn't throw them away at that time." Aomine remembered his father giving him the gloves but his old man never told him what they're for or why he even gave them to him. Thinking about it now... it seems really weird.

"That's sounds... strange." Kuroko admitted, tilting his head. "But cool. I wish I had a weapon like that."

"Right? Its pretty badass." without the glove he would probably be dead. Its become his most priced possession.

Although when Aomine though back to the incident, he remembered Kuroko warning them before it happened. "By the way, how did you know those monsters were going to attack?" Even Aomine was going to be suspicious about that.

"I told you before but you didn't listen. I heard them. They were talking about loud noises coming from inside our shelter. We forgot to lower our voices and... this is what happened because of it." Kuroko explained.

Aomine deadpanned, "Maybe you were hearing things and the monsters just happened to attack at that time?"

"Whatever. Think what you want." Kuroko said, looking away from Aomine. "I practically saved your life and you still don't believe me..." He mumbled to himself so Aomine couldn't hear.

"Did you say something?"

"No." Kuroko sighed and glanced at Aomine. Was it really that far-fetched to say that he hears those things speak? To pass the time until Akashi and Kise returns, he decided to carefully check his leg and see how it's healing.

After some time the two finally returned but with bad news, "The hideout is completely destroyed meaning we can't use it anymore. We'll have to move all of our supplies here. We'll be abandoning this place once we find the device so it doesn't really matter." Akashi briefed the group.

"But this shelter is pretty small and we don't know how long it will take to find the device." Takao said.

"Does anyone even know where to look first?" Kuroko asked.

"Oh shit." Aomine face palmed while the others sighed.

"We have no leads so we'll have to look around and hope for the best." Would they even find it? A better question would be; will they find it before the monsters eat them?

Kuroko was starting to feel worse again since he knew he wouldn't be able to aid in the search. He decided that once he got better, he would find a way to pay them back as much as he could.

"If it's any help... why don't we think of places where the device could have been hidden? Like, where would you hide a world saving devices for humans to find but not the creatures?" He asked.

Everyone turned to look at Kuroko. Akashi nodded. "Good idea. It's better than going in blind." Akashi approached the bluenette and sat beside him, everyone doing the same, forming a circle. Akashi put in a map in the middle so that they could have a clearer picture of where to search.

While looking at the map, all of them were discussing about where it could be. It had to be somewhere that humans could get to but the monsters would never find. They started planning where to look and who goes where until Kise realised something.

"Who's going to stay at the shelter and protect the supplies and Kurokocchi?" He asked.

"Murasakibara will stay. Its daylight so there should be no danger. Everyone else will focus on searching. The question is where." Akashi observed the map, looking back at the places he's been to. "We can start by ruling out the places we've already been to."

"Don't forget about that creature dog we saw." Kuroko reminded while glancing at his leg. "Who knows if they're more like that out there."

"Yes, that's why we'll travel in groups." Akashi didn't want anyone to get wounded again, or worse off killed. But first of all they need to decide where they'll search. "I've been to the south more than I can count. The device won't be there that's for sure." Aomine added. He's traveled to that part of the town the most and he can say with confidence that the device won't be there.

"Wouldn't hurt to try looking there in the future if we can't find it anywhere else. After all, Aominicchi slacks off on the job." Kise teased the other.

"Oi! Wanna fight?"

"I'm just saying the truth!"

"You little-"

"Stop! Both of you! Instead of wasting our time, why not try helping?" Akashi looked down on both of them, deadly aura emitting from him.

"Y-Yes!" A chill ran down Kise and Aomine's spines, stopping their fight. Akashi sighed before focusing on the map again. "Anyone else?"

"Yes." Midorima volunteered after analyzing the map and remembering the places he's been to. "Looking at our past activity, I would say we've covered the whole area but one."

"Which one?" Akashi asked curiously.

"The Kyoto Shrine is one of them. As a matter of fact, I don't remember going to any shrines. I wouldn't want to steal from those holy places." Midorima noted. He tried avoiding those areas at all costs. Not because he didn't want to pray but because he thought that if he found water or food then he would have stole it and Midorima didn't want that at all.

"Then we should head there now!" Kise insisted. "The sooner we find it, the sooner we can continue!"

"We can't continue on until our newest member heals, remember?" Takao reminded.

"Oh right..."

Kuroko sighed. He didn't want to bring the group down again. He looked over at Midorima. "When is the earliest I can walk?"

"I told you. One week is a must rest week. After that you can walk but even then you should take it easy." The doctor of the group said, looking over at Kuroko's leg, noticing that he should change the bandages. "I'll change your bandages." The doctor looked through his medical kit to find bandage.

"The rest of us should begin our search. The sooner we begin, the better. I'll go with Aomine, Kise you go with Takao and Midorima once Midorima's done bandaging Kuroko. We'll meet up in three hours from now." Akashi gave the orders and rolled back his map.

"Alright! Let's search those shrines!" Aomine enthusiastically jumped up, picking up his bag and going out the doors, Akashi not too far behind him. "See you later."

"Bye.." Kuroko slowly waved and then frowned once they left. He wanted to help, especially since he just joined, but it was impossible with his injury. Not unless he wanted to damage his leg further and they don't need that.

"You'll be able to do something soon." Takao reassured Kuroko as Midorima finished up with the bandages.

"The injury's healing up nicely but don't think you can stand up and go about before a week passes. I have my eyes on you." Midorima finished the last touches before standing up.

"We should get going Kise, Takao."

"Good luck Mido-chin." Murasakibara said. Akashi told him to be nicer this morning so he was trying. It was really pointless but he didn't want to go against Akashi.

"What about me!?" Kise whined.

"And me?" Takao pouted.

"Mido-chin is the only one who does something useful." Murasakibara shrugged.

Midorima sighed, "Let's just go. Don't waste my time." The green head went out the doors, not caring if the two idiots followed.

It was just Murasakibara and Kuroko left. It was an awkward silence between the two for a while. Murasakibara wouldn't look at Kuroko who kept glancing at the other every once in a while.

"So-"

Kuroko stopped his attempt at conversation when he saw Murasakibara glance at him as if he just stole his food. He looked away and sighed. He hoped these three hours would past by quick.

After a few hours the group has returned but not with the results they were expecting. Nothing, absolutely nothing. "Damn! Maybe we didn't look good enough!" Aomine threw himself on the floor next to Kuroko, frustrated that they didn't find anything.

"I'm sure we will find it soon. We have to." Kuroko reassured Aomine.

"Easy for you to say Tetsu~ You don't have to search." Aomine moved to the side, his back facing the bluenette. While everyone was putting their things down, Kuroko noticed something strange in Aomine's bag.

Kuroko was about to reach for it to see what it was exactly, but something on his chest was... moving? He looked down with confusion and realized it was his pendant. He removed it from under his shirt and saw it trying to move towards Aomine's bag. "Pendants aren't supposed to do this..." Was he imagining this?

Akashi noticed the pendant moving, completely confused as much as everyone else. Noticing the room became quiet, Aomine turned around to see the pendant pointing to him. "What the hell! Tetsu what's that!?"

"How am I supposed to know? It never happened before." Kuroko said with a frown. "Maybe you have something magnetic in your bag? What was that weird thing I saw in there?"

"My bag?" Aomine quickly sat up, taking off his bag from his back. He ruffled inside taking out object after object, showing it to the pendant before moving on, "This one? This one?" His bag was almost empty until he took out one last thing; a small black stone. Once he took it out, he began moving it left and right, left and right, the pendant following it with dead accuracy.

"This?"

"Where did you get that?" Kuroko asked. "Whatever it is, it's attracting my pendant."

"It's probably some kind of magnetic rock." Takao offered. "Do you know, Shin-chan? You know everything after all~"

Midorima hit Takao on the head making the other whine. Aomine on the other hand tried to remember were he found the stone. "I found it in the grass at the shrine. I thought it was pretty cool so I took it with me." Akashi raised his eyebrow, "Give it to me."

Aomine handed Akashi the stone with the pendant following its movements. Akashi inspected the stone closely and found out why Aomine was so interested in it. It's black but when you look at it closely you could see sparks inside. Just like the stars in a pitch-black night. Interesting but unusual as well. However, the stone was not the only unusual object in the room.

"Where did you get the pendant?" Akashi now turned to face Kuroko.

Kuroko didn't know why Akashi was asking but he supposed it didn't matter anyway. "My dad gave it to me a few days before this all started." He's never actually taken it off ever since. "I don't know where he got it from though."

He doesn't know? Kuroko's answer is oddly familiar to the others' answers when they were asked about their weapons. Could they have something in common? But then again, his companions don't know Kuroko and never met him before. It could perhaps be just a coincidence?

Akashi was in deep thought but thought of an idea. He brought the stone closer to the pendant. Surprisingly the stone shone, brightening up the room before the pendant dropped back onto Kuroko's chest. The stone stopped its shine as the room returned back to normal.

Kuroko stared at his pendant then the stone. He's never seen a stone like that before yet his pendant reacted to it. What did this mean? "What was that exactly...?" Was he the only one confused by this?

"Perhaps..." Akashi looked at the stone in thought, "Perhaps its the device."

"Then why did my pendant react to it?" Kuroko asked. "Why would it be attracted to the device?"

"I don't know but we can all say that what happened wasn't ordinary."

"So you're saying that stone is the device? I thought it looked you know... like a device! Not a rock!" Aomine argued, earning some nods. Who would have expected the device to actually be a stone?

Kuroko didn't suspect a stone to be the device either. But he didn't expect his pendant to be related to this as well. Maybe it was just magnetic and it was all a coincidence.

"Now that we have the device... When will we move?" Kise asked. "Or rather, where will we search next?"

"Forget about moving! I don't think this thing's the thing we're looking for. It's a stone! Who's with me?" Aomine raised his hand, waiting for everyone to do the same but was disappointed when only Takao did.

"Well, what else is it going to be?" Kise asked. "Have you ever seen a stone like that just lying around?"

"Yeah I did! Just now!." Aomine pressed, not being able to believe that a simple stone could potentially save their lives.

"Well, can't you just keep an eye out when you go scavenging?" Kuroko asked. He didn't want a fight to start.

"I do! And that's how I found this! I don't see you guys having weird stones with you!" Aomine threw himself on the floor, putting his hands behind his head. "At least be grateful I found it!"

"We are grateful." Kise sighed tiredly. Even this tired out the energetic blond. "Akashicchi, are we all able to take a rest for a while?"

"Of course. We need some rest." Everyone began preparing their sleeping bags while Akashi looked at the stone. "I'll hold onto this." and with that, everyone slowly drifted off to sleep, except for Takao who had the first shift.

"Shin-chan, you should take first shift with me since we're partners." Takao pouted. He hated being the only one awake.

Instead of answering, Midorima put his glasses beside his sleeping bag and put his night hat on. There's no would be would accompany that idiot.

"Shin-chan!" Takao sighed as he watched the other settle into bed. "Rude."

Everyone slept in the same spot as last night, which meant Kuroko was beside Akashi again. The former was a little nervous but he didn't worry about it. What happened last night was an accident anyway so it should just be forgotten. "Akashi-san.." He whispered softly so no one heard. "If you have a nightmare again, should I wake you up?"

Akashi turned around to the bluenette, "I could switch places with Kise if it bothers you?"

"No, no. I was just asking because I didn't want to scare you again." Kuroko said. However before he could say anything more, his pendant started moving again. It started moving when Akashi turned to face him actually... "Is the stone in your pocket?"

"Yes. It seems this will be a problem." Akashi took out the stone from his pocket to show it to Kuroko. Everybody else in the room pouted due to the light that was being illuminated.

Immediately Akashi put the stone away, stopping the shine. "It would be better if we keep them apart. The monsters could see the light from the outside."

"At least we have a good night light." Kuroko smiled playfully, wanting to get rid of the tired and tense atmosphere.

"That is if you want to be killed." Akashi turned around, ready to sleep.

Kuroko deadpanned when his plan didn't work. Man, Akashi is hard to get along with... He sighed and lay on his back, closing his eyes as he waited for sleep to come.

Just like last night, everyone got a few hours of decent sleep without anything attacking. And just like last night, Kuroko was the only one having troubles. It wasn't a nightmare this time. It was his stupid pendant.

Every time Akashi turned over to face him in his sleep, his pendant reacted to the stone since it was close enough. It kept waking him up and he couldn't fall asleep for ten minutes without feeling another tug. He was tempted to throw the pendant but he didn't want to take it off and accidentally lose it. It's his only memento of his parents after all. He could wake up Akashi and tell him to place the stone somewhere else... but he didn't want to repeat last night.

Kuroko sighed and covered his eyes with his arm. He just hoped this night ended soon.

The next morning came soon as the morning light woke the redhead up. Akashi sat up and stretched his arms in the air. He glanced over and noticed that everyone was still asleep. Well, almost everyone.

"Good morning Kuroko."

Kuroko looked over at Akashi with slightly tired eyes. He only got maybe 4 hours of sleep. Not in a row either. "Morning Akashi-san.." He sighed, sitting up slowly. He's been sitting and doing nothing for at least two days and he really wanted to move. But the only way he could get up and move around is if someone helped him and the only one awake is... 'Yeah right, good luck with getting him to agree.' Kuroko thought to himself with a sigh.

Akashi wondered why Kuroko seemed so tired but when his hand unconsciously touched the stone beside him, he understood the reason. "I apologize. I should have switched places with Kise after all."

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault." Kuroko reassured with the wave of his hand. "However as an apology... Can you help me up? And possibly help me walk? Just for a little bit!" He just couldn't stand not moving around after such a long time.

Akashi nodded before standing up to help the bluenette. Kuroko leaned onto Akashi's shoulder for support and stood up.

"Thanks. I just really need to walk around." After trying to fight for your life and run like your life depends on it (which most of the time, it does), it's impossible to just sit around for so long.

The redhead helped Kuroko move a bit but because the room is so small, they don't have enough space for Kuroko to stretch his legs. "Would you like to go outside? Some fresh air might do you good."

"Yeah... thanks again." Kuroko said as they headed for the door. On the way there, he spotted Kise and Aomine snuggling into each other. Now it might have been because the room was so small, but it was still amusing to see.

Before the two got out of the doors, Akashi observed to see if any hound is around. Luckily there aren't any so they went outside. While searching for the device Akashi has concluded two things. One is that the daylight dog like creatures don't venture into the city but are found of the outskirts of it, second, that unlike their night counterparts, they only attack when provoked or agitated.

As soon as they were outside, Kuroko took a deep breath. Finally, he was outside after so long. It might not have been a long time but to Kuroko, it seemed like forever.

Instead of just standing in one place, the two slowly walked down the street. To fill in the silence, Akashi decided to ask his new companion some questions. "Where are you from?"

"Tokyo." Kuroko answered. He turned his head to look at Akashi. "And you? Do you live in Kyoto, or did you just come here one day like I did?"

"I was born and raised here." Suddenly the thought of their next destination hit him; "We'll be going to Tokyo soon. Since it's your hometown, it would be suitable for you to be our guide."

"Really?" He hasn't seen Tokyo since he left. Was it still the same or was it trashed, just like Kyoto? "You trust me enough to do that?"

"No but I have no other choice. It's either you or we get lost." the redhead wouldn't trust the bluenette, they met not long ago. However, due to the circumstances he will have to let Kuroko lead them but not without watching him closely.

"I see. At least I'll finally be able to help." Kuroko sighed and looked around, taking in the sight. It was a beautiful city any more but it wasn't that bad. "How did your group come to be? Did you guys meet because of the apocalypse or were some of you already friends?"

"We're all childhood friends except for Takao. He's Midorima's friend who joined us after the apocalypse." and because they're childhood friends, they all have deep trust in one another. If someone new were to come, they wouldn't be able to trust them right away.

"Wow. That's amazing that you were all able to get together and work together." No wonder why Kuroko wasn't trusted. Not only because he was new but because all these people were friends for so long, they knew each other. He could never compete against them when it comes to trust. "I wish I could have done it.." But he blew his chance when he got Ogiwara killed. His only friend. "C-Can we... stop for a moment?" He just wanted to bring himself together before he ended up crying in front of Akashi or something.

Akashi stopped, standing in place. He noticed Kuroko was wiping tears from his face but he understood why. Every single person lost someone precious when the apocalypse began. It was inevitable.

"I'm sorry. I didn't.. mean to cry." Kuroko murmured, wiping at his eyes once more. "I mean, I'm sure you lost people too, right? I shouldn't be a crybaby. I'm still alive so I'm supposed to be thankful... That's what you want to say, right?"

Akashi smirked, placing his hand on Kuroko's head. "It's alright. Just let it all out." There's so much sorrow in this world... one doesn't even have the time to pause and grieve the dead. Sometimes one should just stop and look back to cry. Let all of the frustrations and anger out as much as they could. It will never disappear but at least this way its a bit better.

Out of all the things Kuroko was expecting Akashi to say, this wasn't one of them. He looked at Akashi with surprise before slightly smiling. "Thank you.." He said softly, relishing the touch on top of his head. It reminded him of his mother and now he realized that he probably won't ever see his parents again. Of course he's realized this but he never had time to cry or grieve about it.

"It's alright." Akashi patted Kuroko on the head, giving the bluenette some comfort. He remembers doing the same to his friends... Everybody lost someone. Whether their parents or their friends…

Kuroko honestly didn't expect the captain of the group to be like this. Not with him at least. He thought Akashi actually despised him. Maybe he does but at least Akashi knows how to comfort someone and show sympathy.

He slightly leaned on Akashi since he couldn't put pressure on his leg yet. He closed his eyes and held onto Akashi a little tighter since he didn't have the support Akashi gave him any more. He knew he shouldn't be acting like this in front of someone who tied him to a pole about three days ago but he couldn't help it. "We should head back.."

"We should" Akashi put his hand back on Kuroko, supporting him to walk towards the shelter. They have a long day of planning ahead of them and Akashi is more than eager to brief everyone on his plan.

As they walked, Kuroko looked at Akashi again. "Akashi-san.. Have you lost anyone? Has anyone important to you ever died in front of you?"

When Kuroko asked the question he expected Akashi's expression to change to a saddened one but the one he saw was very different. It was an expression of anger, "That's none of your business Kuroko." Akashi coldly answered, fastening the pace so that they reach the shelter faster.

After getting his answer, Kuroko didn't talk again. He didn't even look at Akashi again. Akashi was right, he shouldn't have asked. It was a personal question. Why did he even think to ask? Why would Akashi trust him enough to tell him things like that? He saw the shelter ahead and sighed a little. He wished he could walk by himself so he could escape this tense atmosphere.

Once the two reached the doors of the shelter they've been greeted by Aomine and Kise who were in an argument. "Why did you get into my sleeping bag!? What were you trying to do!?" Aomine yelled, pulling on Kise's hair.

"I didn't do it on purpose! Maybe you pulled me closer in my sleep! Aominicchi is a pervert after all!" Kise argued back.

"At least things are lively here..." Kuroko mumbled to himself.

"Oh yeah? I would if you had boobs but I don't see any! So that means that you're the pervert here!" Aomine backfired. Kuroko spared a glance at Akashi and noticed the other irritated. Without saying anything Akashi took Kuroko upstairs, ignoring the two idiots. Once in the room, Akashi called out to Midorima. "Midorima could you assess his injuries? I need to know when he'll be able to travel." the redhead placed Kuroko down on the floor, Midorima walking towards them.

"I can but-"

"We have a long journey ahead of us. I want to know if its possible for him to travel sooner than one week." Akashi's question surprised the doctor but first he'll have to look at Kuroko's injury to see the healing progress.

"But I thought Midorima-san said I have to wait at least a week." Kuroko said. He wanted to help and not be a hindrance but if he got even more injured, won't that just be holding everyone back even more?

"The situation we're in right now requires us to take action. First, our main shelter has been destroyed, forcing us to move to a less safe location. Second, we've found the device in Kyoto which means we'll have to move onto the next location. Although I'm mostly concerned about our shelter. It's not meant to last for a long time. We'll have to move as soon as possible." While Akashi briefed Kuroko, Midorima tended to the bluenette's leg. The injury seems to be healing but there's no way it would heal quicker just because someone wishes so.

"The injury is healing but it will still take one week. In the worse case scenario, we can have someone carry Kuroko on their back during the travel." Midorima suggested but wasn't sure the bluenette would agree with that.

"No one needs to do that. I can walk fine on my own. I'll just be careful." Kuroko said with a frown. "We can go soon. This is an apocalypse, I can't hold everyone back."

"If your injury worsens then you'll become an even bigger hindrance to us. You have two choices right now. We take you with us, someone carrying you, or you stay here and die by yourself. Choose now Kuroko." Akashi looked down at Kuroko, not giving him much of a choice.

Kuroko glanced up at Akashi before looking away. Why did Akashi always look at him like that? Like he was a waste of space either way? "Fine... I'll go with you however you want me to."

"Good choice." Akashi turned to Midorima, "We'll depart tomorrow so we'll have to search for as much resources as we can. Everybody has now until sunset to scavenge." After everyone in the room nodded, Akashi went downstairs to tell Aomine and Kise.

"A whole day of scavenging." And a whole new day for Kuroko to do nothing but sit around and wait. He sighed and looked at Midorima. "Is there really no way to speed up recovery?"

Midorima sighed; did everyone think he could use magic to heal? "Sorry but no. A wound takes time to heal. There's nothing I can do to fasten it up." If he could then he would but he can't. Even doctors have their limits.

"Alright. Sorry, I was just curious." Kuroko said. "I have no intentions of ruining my injury but.. I just feel like every time your group leader looks at me, he just looks at me with hate and I feel the need to make him change that thought. But I keep messing up and making everyone mad."

Midorima was completely taken aback when Kuroko spoke up his worries and troubles. Why did he open up to him? Midorima scratched his head, uncertain on what to say. "Akashi has a lot on his shoulders. I'm sure that if you were the leader of the group, you would act the same way. Plus, you're a newbie, an unknown factor in his plans. Can you really blame him? Look outside. I'm sure you would understand, just like the rest of us do."

Even if he was new, he wished he could know about Akashi and everyone else. He didn't have ill intentions with the group or anything but he knew no one would trust him so soon. That means he has to stop screwing up and try harder to get the group to trust him. "Don't worry, I understand."

"Don't worry about it too much. Just focus on what's important right now and that's healing." Midorima finished checking up on Kuroko's wound and changed the bandage while at it as well. The doctor put his equipment away before dragging Takao away with him to search for resources. "Could you watch over him Murasakibara?"

"Yeah yeah. Aka-chin probably wants me to do it again anyway." Murasakibara answered, obviously unenthusiastic about doing the same thing again.

Time ticked incredibly slow, probably because Kuroko was bored to death. He didn't have anything to do, plus it wasn't helping that Murasakibara didn't even make an effort to talk to him. Whenever Kuroko attempted to start a conversation, the other would just stare at him strangely.

Eventually Kuroko gave up and hoped the day would end soon. And when it finally did, Kuroko couldn't be happier when everyone came back.

"I wish I had a wounded leg~ I would get to lay around all day." Aomine pouted, throwing himself next to Kuroko, exhausted.

"I wish I was healthy and uninjured so I would be able to get up and do things myself." Kuroko sighed and lightly leaned on Aomine. "Wish we could switch huh?"

"Yeah~ I'm dead tired~" Aomine leaned onto Kuroko as well for warmth. The nights are know to be very chilly. With everyone gathered in the room, Akashi used the chance to talk to everyone, "Take out what you've gathered. We need to prepare for tomorrow."

And just as Akashi instructed everyone took out the items they've found. Most of it was food, water, etc. but a few things like rocks (aka. Aomine's and Kise's findings) weren't as useful. Those will have to be thrown away. When everyone sorted out what they'll be taking with them, it was time to sleep.

"Hey Aomine-san," Kuroko quietly called the other over. "Just for tonight, can you.. switch spots with Akashi-san? Please?"

"Huh? With Akashi?" Aomine looked over at the redhead in question who nodded (having heard Kuroko ask). Without saying anything, Akashi went over to sleep in Aomine's sleeping bag. The tanned male looked over at Kuroko then at Akashi, Kuroko then Akashi. He was confused.

Aomine lay down and covered himself with the sleeping bag. "Oi Tetsu, did something happen between you and Akashi?"

"I guess you could say that." Kuroko whispered since he didn't want Akashi to hear. "It's also because I don't know if he still has that stone on him. Every time he gets too close, my pendant reacts and it keeps me awake."

"Ohh~ I get it. I was getting sick of Kise anyway." The tanned male put his hands behind his head, yawning. Not soon after Aomine fell asleep.

Kuroko got comfortable, ready to fall asleep as well. But just as he got to sleep, he was woken up by... someone hugging him? He looked over his shoulder and saw Aomine clinging to him in his sleep. He sighed a little and tried to ignore him. He thought that would be it but noooo, Aomine just HAD to sleep talk.

Kuroko groaned and tried covering his ears. Looks like it's going to be another sleepless night for him.

Morning soon came as Aomine and everyone else woke up. Except for Akashi who was nowhere to be seen. Probably went outside? Aomine yawned, stretching his arms out in the air. "Morning Tet- Whoa! You look like a zombie!" Aomine was surprised to see the newbie sitting up with dark circles under his eyes.

"I feel like one.." Kuroko groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. Maybe he'll get some sleep while they travel…

"Couldn't sleep?" Aomine stood up, stretching himself more.

"No because you crawled up to me and snuggled me all night." Kuroko grumbled but Kise heard and jumped up.

"I told you I didn't crawl in with you, Aominicchi! You were the one to crawl into my sleeping bag! Or at least pull me into yours!"

"Shut up! I would never crawl into your bed! But Tetsu's different!" Aomine fought back, making everyone sigh. Another day, another fight between the two began. Thankfully Akashi came back, stopping the two. "We have to leave as soon as possible. The sooner we depart, the better. Pack your things." The earlier they leave, the longer time they will have to travel before night falls.

Kuroko watched everyone make sure they had everything then started packing up their rations along with their own supplies. Once Aomine was done, he asked Aomine if he could give him his bag. He could at least carry his own bag for the trip since there wasn't much in it except his weapons.

"Sure. Here." Aomine handed Kuroko his bag while everyone finished packing. "Kuroko will be our guide for the travel. Tokyo is his hometown so it's only suitable he guides us." Akashi told everyone, surprising them somewhat. They never knew Kuroko was from Tokyo! Actually when they think about it, they know nothing about him!

"So you're a city boy?" Aomine asked, kneeling down so that Kuroko could get up on his back.

Kuroko nodded as he carefully moved onto Aomine's back, keeping off his injured leg. "I guess you could say that, yeah. I've never really been anywhere else."

"Me too. Ehm... I mean I was born in Tokyo but my family moved to Kyoto right after." Aomine stood up, adjusting himself to carrying the smaller teen.

"I see. Maybe if you had stayed, maybe we would have been friends." Kuroko smiled a little at the thought. If that happened, then he'd have another friend alongside Ogiwara.

"We definitely would!" Aomine found it strange that Kuroko wasn't heavy at all. "Man you're as light as a feather! Do you even eat?"

"I don't eat much. Guess that comes in handy for an apocalypse." Kuroko said, holding onto Aomine without choking him of course.

"Yeah but I don't see myself surviving without mea-"

"Everyone ready? Let's go, we can't waste time." Akashi walked out the doors, everyone following him. Aomine adjusted Kuroko on his back before joining the others.

Once everyone was outside, Akashi approached Kuroko and Aomine. "So guide, could you please direct us?"

Kuroko looked around, trying to find the direction he came from. If they took the direction he came from, eventually they'll make it to Tokyo. He pointed towards the forest he came out of when he arrived at Kyoto. "It's that way."

"Let's go everyone" and so they did. The group began travelling east where Kuroko pointed to. Akashi walked beside the bluenette and Aomine who carries him. "You should be in the front Aomine. That way, its easier to follow. Also..." Akashi locked eyes with Kuroko. "If you betray us you'll regret it."

Kuroko didn't respond and just looked away. He wasn't going to betray anyone! He just wanted to live and help anyone he finds live! He held onto Aomine a little tighter and sighed.

Noticing that Kuroko held onto him tighter, Aomine fastened his pace leaving Akashi and the group behind so that he was in front. "Don't worry Tetsu, I know you won't betray us."

"Thanks, Aomine..kun." Kuroko said, smiling softly. "I just want to survive and help anyone else survive this apocalypse. I don't want to turn on anyone. I just want things to return to normal." He admitted.

Aomine smirked, "Of course idiot! We all want to live. It's just Akashi being Akashi. Don't worry about it! I trust you Tetsu!" Aomine lightly jumped to cheer up the bluenette.

Kuroko smiled a little although he did hold on a little tighter so he didn't fall when Aomine jumped. "It means a lot. And I mean that."

"No problem! But watch the road ahead. If we get lost Akashi will have our heads!" Aomine shuddered at the mere thought of Akashi's punishment. He just hoped they wouldn't walk the entire journey to Tokyo. It's kilometers away!

"I won't. I passed through just a few days ago so I should remember our path for a little while at least." Kuroko said.

"That's a relief~ All right guide! Lead the way!" Aomine fastened his pace, a bit excited to see the city he was born in. He's never lived in Tokyo but the curiosity to see it only rose the closer they got."

"If you get lost or have any questions, just ask me." Kuroko said. "But... do you mind if I take a nap, Aomine-kun? You did keep me up all night after all."

"Eh? I don't think Akashi will let you." Aomine tilted his head to look behind, seeing a very cautious Akashi walking behind them. What would he tell them if their guide fell asleep? "I don't think that's a good idea. Hold on until we find shelter."

Kuroko sighed and grumbled a little. He was so tired. He wanted sleep! "I guess you're right... Fine, but tonight you're not sleeping next to me again. You cling too much."

"It's not my fault! My body unconsciously followed the heat!" Aomine grumbled.

"It is your fault 'cause Aomine-kun is a pervert." Kuroko teased Aomine, smirking softly.

"Oi! Boobs are life! Big boobs equal big dreams!" Now that he thought about it, yesterday Aomine had luck and found a new photo-shoot magazine of his favorite model; Mai-chan.

"Well I don't see anyone here who even has boobs so maybe you should give up on that big dream." Kuroko continued to tease.

"What!? There's no way I would do that! I just know it... out there... there is the goddess of boobs waiting for me! Just wait for me Mai-chan!" Aomine motivated himself, determined to one day find the one.

"What if your soul mate is flat chested? Or even male?" Kuroko asked curiously. Honestly, his new favorite hobby was teasing Aomine now.

"That's impossible. My soul mate is Mai-chan and she has huge boobs." Aomine has eyes for nobody else.

"Well, we'll never know~" Kuroko said with a fake sigh. "Good luck finding her~"

"Thanks Tetsu." Aomine looked around, finding it weird that there isn't even a soul out there to see. Before the apocalypse, the city of Kyoto was swirling with people! Japan is known for its crowds and rush hours but now... its only a shell of its former self. Quite scary.

Abandoned train stations, bus stops, shopping malls, airports, apartment buildings, offices, EVERYTHING! Not a soul to be seen except for their group. The sight ran shivers down Aomine's spine. Now that they're travelling and getting out of the area they've been since the catastrophe began, Aomine and the rest only began to notice the scale of the apocalypse. Definitely the whole of Japan is gone... ruined... but what about the world? Is it the same? There's no way for them to find out since not even the TVs are working.

No electronics work, and when they say that, they mainly mean Internet and without Internet there's no way of contacting the outside world. Is there still hope out there? Well... there definitely is in the message of that weird professor and that is a risk they are willing to take. Either follow the only light they have or die one day without fighting for your life.

The group traveled all day, only taking a break every now and then. Since it was too tiring for Aomine to carry Kuroko the whole time, Aomine and Murasakibara switched from time to time. Whenever Kuroko was with Aomine, they were laughing and teasing. However with Murasakibara they were quiet and awkward. If that doesn't show whom Kuroko's better friends with then he doesn't know what will.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Since KT already answered the questions, I guess I'll just chill c: Um, I don't got much to say. I'm a bit happy I guess cause I entered a Naruto ninja storm 4 tournament (I also entered my bro as a surprise for him). I sadly lost but he won so yay c:

Please enjoy the chapter~

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Wow! You guys are onto us... but we can't reveal anything XD To answer some of your questions...

absoluteright - yes, Ogiwara is Kuroko's childhood friend, the monsters are dog like creatures (mostly) although there are many different types of monsters out there and yes. This is an Akakuro fanfic~ XD

BabyNightmareLady - I'm sorry but we won't have Himuro or Momoi in this story :( I can't say anything about Kagami though XD

Shiro-chan1827 - AoKi may or may not be an item. I won't say any more because it would be a spoiler :(

Cecilia54 - Himuro won't appear but... *can't say no more* XD gomen :(

Thank you everyone for your wonderful support. We really hope you keep reading on and stick with us :) I hope you liked this chapter and we'll see you next week :)

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	4. File 04

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Just before nighttime, Kuroko recognized where they were and directed them to one of the shelters he found before he got to Kyoto. It was an abandoned cabin that was probably used for vacations out of the city. That's why it was so close to Kyoto. They got settled in and even got a fire going since there was a fireplace. Akashi said it would be alright since it wasn't night time yet and the monsters wouldn't see.

As every one got settled around the fire with their smaller than usual dinner, everyone was trying to think of something to talk about. Of course Kise was the one to start talking. "I'm still surprised Kurokocchi lived in Tokyo... kind of reminds you that we know nothing about him, right?" Kuroko expected Kise to say something about betrayal but the blond surprised him. "Why don't you tell us about yourself, Kurokocchi?"

"Huh? Why?" They weren't interested before. Why would they be now?

"Because we want to know! We can't be strangers forever if we want to be in the group." Kise insisted. Kuroko stared for a second and sighed. No one else was really saying anything although he did notice Takao trying to silently urge him to speak.

"Well... There's not much about me. I've had a normal life. I read a lot, I play basketball. I'm not really noticed, in or out of school, and I don't really talk to anyone. I still have both of my parents." Kuroko said, his fingers touching his pendant. "Even though I never really talked to anyone, I had one friend. We started off great together during this apocalypse but.." He suddenly trailed off and almost everyone can assume what happened. "Sorry. There's not much more to say about me."

"You play basketball? We should have a showdown! One on one! You and me!" Whenever basketball is in question, Aomine is definitely interested. Kuroko seems as a really interesting guy even though he thinks he isn't.

Midorima listened in and wanted to ask a question, "You say you still have your parents. Does that mean they're alive?"

Kuroko looked up at Midorima before shaking his head. "I wish I could answer that... When I said I still had them, I meant they didn't die when I was young. I'm sorry for confusing you..." He wished he could at least know if his parents are alive but there was no way to tell unless he saw them.

"I'm sorry." Midorima lowered his head in sympathy. After all, he himself doesn't know if his parents are alive. Would it be childish of him to believe they are still out there?

Akashi noticed Kuroko's saddened expression but he also had a question in store, "You mentioned you had a friend. Is he also a survivor?"

"He... was a survivor." Kuroko mumbled, bringing his knees to his chest while being careful of his injury. "He's not here anymore.."

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss." Akashi wasn't fazed by the answer but still felt sorry for Kuroko. The question they all should be asking is 'who survived?' rather than 'who was killed?'.

"They're disgusting... Those monsters. What do they want? Just to eat us? Who made them anyway?" Aomine watched the intense blaze of the fire in the chimney. The thought has been bothering him ever since the apocalypse began. What if someone is responsible for this? What if someone created them?

Kuroko couldn't reply. He didn't know what to think of them. He should hate them, especially after what happened to Ogiwara, but... Were they really bad? What if they were just like animals, or even humans. They just want to survive and if that means eating humans, they'll still do it? They just wanted to live like them probably.

"I'm not sure but I guess all we can do is find those devices and destroy that subject 4 that they've been talking about." Kuroko said.

Aomine pouted. Did the thought of somebody making the monsters occur to anybody else? Well, Akashi definitely but maybe not to others. But then again the name 'subject 4' came back to question. What is it exactly? No use pondering over something you can't solve. So many questions but no answers.

Aomine pushed himself on the floor out of frustration while the doctor of the group remembered to check on Kuroko's injury. "Let me have a look at your leg." Midorima approached the bluenette, taking out his medical tools from his bag.

Kuroko nodded and laid down his injured leg carefully. He stayed still so Midorima could inspect it.

"Hey Aominicchi! If it helps, want to sit outside for a bit before night comes?" Kise asked the other who looked frustrated.

"With you? No thanks, I would rather sit with Takao or Murasakibara." Aomine picked his nose before sighing. Was there really nothing to do other than travel, eat, run and hide? Where did all the fun of life go? He would give anything to have a one on one with someone right now.

"Why not? At least give me a chance." Kise pouted as he crossed his arms.

"A chance? What are you? Are you into me? No! So no!" Aomine jumped off, knowing that if he stays the blonde will bother him the entire night. "Maybe they have some food in the kitchen?" Aomine realized, running off to the said place to try to find something edible.

Kise frowned a little. He didn't follow Aomine for once and just returned to the group, sitting beside Kuroko to watch Midorima tend to Kuroko's leg.

"Kise-san, are you alright?" Kuroko decided to ask.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Kise asked. Well maybe he isn't alright because Aomine will ignore anything and everyone unless they had big boobs or food. Two things Kise didn't have and therefore, no Aomine.

Midorima sighed, he didn't want to get involved in an argument between the two idiots. Focusing back on Kuroko's leg, Midorima estimates that Kuroko can at least limp now. It would be good if they could find crutches somewhere but he doubted that would be the case.

"Oi! I found some crutches!" Aomine yelled and ran towards Kuroko and the doctor. "How about this? It must have belonged to some granny who lived here?" Aomine deducted, proud that he made this discovery to help his friend recover quicker.

Midorima was left speechless. How could Aomine find the one thing he was just thinking about? Coincidences can hit you before you know it. "Those will be very useful."

"Right!? Just what I thought."

Kuroko stared at them with a little distaste. They always hurt his arms and torso and they were so hard to walk in. They were slow as well. He'd rather take his chances with limping. "I don't have to use them right?"

"You don't have to but if you want to walk around the house then you'll have to use them. I'm sure you're sick and tired of always sitting down." Midorima noted. It's a miracle they've even found the crutches but then again its up to Kuroko if he wants to use them. "Patients should behave like patients." Midorima couldn't understand why somebody would want to worsen their condition instead of improving it.

After giving the crutches away, Aomine decided to explore some more, leading to Akashi telling everyone to do the same. It is stealing but if it could help them survive then they have nothing to lose.

"Fine. I'll use them around the house." But he knew he wouldn't be able to use them outside, even if he wanted to. The ground was too bumpy and it would be dangerous and slow. Kuroko decided that while everyone searched, he mind as well get up and stretch his uninjured leg. Even if he did have to use those damn crutches.

"Be careful. Just make sure you don't step on your injured leg. It would worsen the injury and possibly extend the one week to two." Midorima warned before putting his equipment back into his bag. His bandages are running low so he decided to see if the house has a medical kit.

"I understand." Kuroko definitely did not want that. So he got the crutches and used them to stand up and eventually walk. God why did they always hurt so much? They should have invented better crutches before the apocalypse started.

Kuroko ventured around the house, seeing Aomine in the kitchen, Kise in the bedroom and Murasakibara in the living room watching... cartoons? Now that he thought about it, maybe Kuroko could use this chance to get to know Murasakibara a bit better?

Kuroko moved closer to Murasakibara who didn't even greet him. "...How are you watching cartoons?"

Murasakibara just shrugged. Kuroko hesitated as he looked at it working TV. Maybe it had a VCR in it and that's how it was playing cartoons without electricity.

"Um.. Can I sit by you?" When Murasakibara didn't answer, Kuroko slowly sat beside the giant. There was an awkward tension in the air and Kuroko tried to ignore it. "So.. Did you always watch cartoons before everything?"

"Only every so often."

"What's your favorite one?" Kuroko asked. Murasakibara was quiet for a moment. May be he was thinking?

"I like most of them." Murasakibara answered.

"I see... Hey, what about favorite food?"

"I like sweets."

"Well if I ever find sweets, I'll give them to you." Kuroko promised. Suddenly Murasakibara looked at him but not with a glare. "Really..?"

"Of course I will! I'm not that big a fan of sweets so if I find some, I'll give them to you." Kuroko smiled when Murasakibara seemed to relax around him.

Meanwhile in the kitchen...

"Oi Kise! Give it back! I found it first so it's mine!" Aomine growled, not intending to let Kise have his way.

"No! I got it first so that means it's mine!" Kise insisted. "Stop being so greedy anyway!"

"Who's the greedy one? I was holding it in my hand when you suddenly took it!" Aomine pulled on the object, making Kise pull it back. Their voices were so loud that it made Akashi come downstairs.

"What's the matter?" The redhead asked.

"Kise's stealing my controller." Aomine said as he pulled the controller to himself.

Akashi sighed out of annoyance and frustration. "A controller for a game console that doesn't work?" Akashi couldn't believe this.

"Eh? But Murasakibara is watching cartoons on the TV! Why can't we play some games?" Aomine confusingly asked, not knowing that the TV is not designed for gaming.

"It's a battery powered television for children. It'll last for about five more minutes before it shuts off. Not to mention that it's not designed for gaming." and with Akashi's revelation, both Kise and Aomine dropped the controller.

"WHAT!" the two idiots screamed in unison.

Even from the living room, both Kuroko and Murasakibara could hear the two scream. "What do you think they're yelling about?" Kuroko asked Murasakibara.

"Don't know, don't care~" Murasakibara said. A minute later the TV just suddenly turned off. He pouted a little. "Aka-chin! Do we have any batteries around?"

"Not any that I found." There could be some batteries laying around which they haven't found but Akashi wouldn't bet on that. Instead of looking for batteries, the redhead decided to search for more useful items. "I'll be upstairs if someone needs me."

Murasakibara continued to pout. Great, just when he found some entertainment. "Well," He mumbled as he stood up. "I'm going to go look for batteries. See ya~" He said to Kuroko before leaving.

With a sigh, Kuroko got up with his crutches. Where to now?

Upstairs, Midorima was searching for the medical kit, which he found in the second bedroom. Judging by the size of the room, Midorima guessed it must be the master bedroom. He finally opened the medical box when he heard Takao calling him, making him roll his eyes. "What is it Takao?"

Takao ran into the room, the door closing behind him. There was a jar on his hand that had candies inside. "This was in another room and I tried getting some but my hand is stuck!"

"Take it out then. I'm in the process of collecting medical equipment. I have to check if its clean and the like." Midorima ignored the raven head and focused on the medicine instead.

"Why do you think I came to you? It won't come off no matter how much I pull!" Takao whined as he approached Midorima.

It was at that moment that Kuroko had finally gotten upstairs. It took quite a bit since he had to climb the steps without using his bad leg while carrying his crutches. But finally he made it up and once he passed by the master bedroom (unknown to him), he heard Takao say, "Come on Shin-chan!"

Midorima sighed. It would be wiser to just help him and get it over with so that he could go bother someone else. "Alright, I'll do it." Midorima stood up and put his hands on the jar, pulling it.

"Ow! Hey! Not so suddenly!" Takao said.

Kuroko tilted his head in confusion as he stayed still. What were they doing in there?

"Don't move Takao! You have to pull harder!"

"But it hurts! Can't you get something to make it wet or something?" Takao asked.

"It would slide in and out smother." Midorima admitted and reached for a hand cream he saw laying down on the counter. He grabbed it and put it on Takao's hand.

"It will still help, won't it? Now just be careful." Takao told Midorima to do. He didn't want to end up hurting his hand after all.

Kuroko really wanted to open the door. He was that curious! However this sounded personal and he shouldn't really be listening... But again, he was curious.

"It's so thick! How did you manage to put it in?"

"It just happened, okay? Now can we focus on the task at hand?"

"If I move faster maybe it could work?"

"Yeah... and maybe do it harder too. Just be careful so you don't break me or something." Takao chuckled.

Kuroko now had his ear pressed against the door. There was no way... He had no idea those two were together! Did the group know?

"I'll try but don't blame me if you start crying from the pain."

"I'm not a crybaby! I'm not gonna cry! Watch!"

"Alright here goes…"

It was silent for a moment and Kuroko tried not to think about what's going to happen next.

"O-Ow! Okay Maybe not too hard!" Takao suddenly said aloud.

"I have to do it hard otherwise it will hurt you more. Just bear with it."

"Just don't break me, okay?"

"I'll try…"

There were a few more pained sounds from Takao for the next minute and soon it even got louder.

"I-I think it's... about to go!"

"Just a bit more..." Midorima made sounds as if he's struggling to push something.

Okay, that was it. Kuroko has definitely been invading into their personal space and he definitely did not want to hear the end of this. He already headed for the stairs and started the long process of going downstairs. He had to tell everyone what he heard.

"It's finally off! All that pain was worth it now that it's off." Takao said happily, holding the jar that had been stuck on his hand a minute ago. "Thanks Shin-chan~"

Midorima sighed before returning his attention to the medical kit. "Don't bother me with stupid things like that. I have important work to do." Midorima's face soon brightened when he spotted new bandage in the box along with other medical equipment he was missing. He hit jackpot.

"Isn't having my hand stuck in a jar a problem? What if we were attacked?" Takao pouted.

"It is possible to confuse a monster by smashing the jar on its head. Theoretically." The doctor took all the new equipment, examined it before putting it in his bag. Separating the useful from the useless.

"That might be useful until I get close enough for it to chow down on me!" Takao responded with. "Shin-chan is just trying to hide the fact that he was being nice~"

"I-I wasn't being nice!" Midorima insisted, annoyed by Takao's choice of words. Luckily he finished packing the medical equipment so he could escape. "Let's join the others. Night is soon approaching." Midorima didn't look back twice before leaving for the stairs.

"Don't deny it Shin-chan~ You were totally being nice~" Takao kept teasing as he followed Midorima down.

"Takao and Midorima did what!? Hahaha!" Aomine laughed from the bottom of his lungs when he heard Kuroko's story. The whole group sat in the living room on the couches, discussing Kuroko's... story.

"I swear I heard it. It sounded like it!" Kuroko insisted. "I went upstairs and I heard them doing... you know."

While Aomine and Kise were laughing their heads off, Akashi decided to take a more reasonable approach. "Perhaps you misunderstood the situation?" What if they were in fact doing something else?

Murasakibara, unlike the two idiots, munched on his snacks, not really caring about the subject at hand. Annoyedly he didn't find the batteries he was looking for.

"Maybe... But it really sounded like it." Kuroko said to Akashi.

Akashi raised his eyebrow, not really sure what to make of Kuroko's claim. The redhead was absolutely sure that Kuroko had misinterpreted the situation.

"Come on Akashicchi! What if they did do that?" Kise asked, still amused by the idea.

Akashi shook his head. He knows Midorima for a very long time and he can say with confidence that Midorima isn't that type of a person. It would more than surprise him if what Kuroko described actually occurred.

"Enough Takao! I told you that I just did my duty as a doctor. I didn't help you relieve your stress at all!" Midorima insisted, reaching the bottom of the stairs but suddenly stopped in place when he noticed Kise and Aomine giggling.

"Relieve stress?"

"Duty as a doctor?"

"Hahaha!" Kise and Aomine burst out in a new wave of laugher when they saw Midorima, the latter more than confused. "Why are you making fun of me?!" Midorima raised his voice in annoyance, looking at Akashi for an explanation.

"Well, Kuroko here seems to have quite a tale of what apparently you and Takao did upstairs." As soon as Akashi said it, Aomine and Kise's laughter intensified.

"He was just relieving stress~ Haha!"

"What tale?" Takao asked curiously.

"Why did you tell them that I said it?" Kuroko asked with a frown. He didn't want them to know that he accidentally overheard them!

"If you told us then you couldn't have expected us to keep it a secret. Not with Aomine and Kise anyway. Time to face up to your mischief Kuroko." Akashi smirked, ready to watch the fun unfold before him.

"M-Mischief? I was only saying what I heard!" Kuroko said. Now he seemed like a troublemaker!

"Tell us~" Takao insisted. Now he was really curious of this tale Kuroko told the group.

"I-I can't possibly do that.."

"Pffft! Of course he can't I mean... Midorima and Takao know what its about~ Haha!" Aomine put his hand on his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter even if it was impossible.

"Yeah~ We know all about their stress relief~" Kise added teasingly as well, holding back his laughter.

"What are you talking about?" Midorima turned to Takao, "Is this one of your games?"

"No! Why do you always blame me?" Takao pouted. "I'm as clueless as you are."

"Then what is it?" Midorima annoyedly asked, but then remembered that Kuroko is the source. The green head stomped towards the bluenette, grabbing his shoulders tightly. "What's going on Kuroko?"

"I-I just told them what I heard was all! I wasn't trying to cause mischief!" Kuroko said quickly. "I swear."

"Heard?" Midorima raised an eyebrow, "What did you hear that was so funny?" So funny for those idiots to laugh at anyway. Something idiotic, Midorima guessed.

"You and.. your friend were... Um.. getting personal?" Kuroko reluctantly said.

"Personal? Please be precise, I don't understand." Midorima insisted, not knowing why nobody wants to tell him.

Was Midorima trying to embarrass him? "I h-heard you two doing what couples did!"

Even Takao started laughing now that he realized what Kuroko meant. The newbie thought they did that? "Shin-chan is too shy to do that~"

"Do what?" Midorima was still at a loss but luckily Akashi was there to brief him in. The redhead stood up and walked up to the doctor to whisper what's going on. Finally knowing what's going on, Midorima blushed.

"Absurd! How could that thought even occur to you!? Me and Takao?"

"It sounded like it... So you didn't really do that?" Kuroko asked with surprise. "Then what was going on?"

"This." Takao said, holding up the jar with candies inside. Soon it disappeared from Takao's hands since Murasakibara stole it. "Hey! Rude." He pouted as the giant munched on his new candy.

"Takao's hand was stuck in the jar. We were trying to get it out!" Midorima stressed, his face somewhat red.

Aomine and Kise had their mouth in an O shape, realising that Kuroko had assumed things. "You have a dirty mind Tetsu~ Must be the pans~" Aomine teased, giggling a bit.

"It's not the pans! I don't like pans!" Kuroko insisted with a frown and covered his face with his hands. This was so embarrassing. He shouldn't have told anyone but he just wanted to know if those two were a thing or not!

The room was a complete mess. Kise and Aomine were laughing, Midorima was fuming red, Takao giggled, Murasakibara ate the new candies he received, Akashi sighed and lastly Kuroko who wanted to die due to the embarrassment. How could he make such a mistake? While everyone was fooling around, Akashi looked out the window. Its night, meaning the monsters are out and hunting.

"Lower your voices. Its night meaning we can't fool around anymore. Secure the house and close off any openings, whether it's the windows or the doors. After that we should rest for tomorrow's travel."

Every one did as Akashi commanded. They closed off all the windows and doors and even covered the windows with curtains. They wouldn't want anything to see inside after all. The fire was dimmed down a little so there was only a little bit. It would give off warm but not a lot of light, which was good.

Since the two bonded a little, Kuroko decided he should try sleeping next to Murasakibara tonight. The giant didn't seem like the type to cling or talk in his sleep. Maybe he'd be alright to sleep next to.

But then again came the question of who will be sleeping where. Since they have a whole house to themselves, they can afford to be spacious. "I'm taking the master bedroom!" Aomine immediately raised his hand.

"No, I want it! Whoever gets there first sleeps there!" Kise claimed.

"But who's going to take first shift tonight? Whoever it is has to stay down here." Takao said.

"Great way to kill the mood Takao..."

"Takaocchi..." Aomine and Kise pouted while Akashi was in thought. He got an idea.

"We'll pull papers from a hat. We write the rooms on a piece of paper and who picks what gets the room they picked up. Everyone agree?"

"That sounds fair." Kuroko said while a few groaned. They wanted a choice but it's not like they can go against the captain. It's not like Kuroko can go anywhere else either.

Now that everyone agreed to the suggestion, Akashi proceeded to write the rooms on the small papers; master bedroom - the grand prize, a guest room, children's room and lastly the living room meaning on the couches.

Akashi put all of the papers into a hat they found at the entrance. Its show time...

Aomine stepped forward to pull first, sweat streaming down his face as the others watched him in anticipation. Quickly Aomine submerged his hand into the hat, taking it out with the same speed. In his hand he held a little paper but when he opened it…

"Aominicchi? Why so down?" Kise asked with confusion. Suddenly Takao snatched the paper away from Aomine and read it aloud before he could steal it back.

"He got the kiddie room!" Takao laughed and so did Kise.

"No master bedroom for Aominicch!~" He said as he reached in for his paper. When he pulled it up, he wasn't laughing any more.

"Let me see that!" Aomine in return snatched Kise's paper, only to smirk in approval. "No master bedroom for you either~"

"Don't be mean Aominicchi!" Kise whined.

"My turn~" Takao said and picked a piece of paper. "Ah, the guest room. Not bad."

"Hmph, move aside." Midorima picked his paper but instead of a triumphant victory the only thing he received was utter loss.

"And what did you get Shin-chan~?" Takao asked with a small smirk.

"There's no need for you to- Oi!" Aomine sneaked behind the doctor and grabbed the piece of paper, he hid behind Takao, reading the paper out loud. "Looks like the assumed lovers will be in the guest room~"

"Don't worry, we won't do anything dirty~" Takao smirked as Kuroko tried not to blush from embarrassment.

"Of course we won't! Don't be absurd! Takao will be sleeping on the floor!"

"I will not! Don't be greedy!"

"We should pick now." Kuroko said while looking at Murasakibara. Murasakibara sighed and got up, grabbing a paper for both of them. They both got downstairs, which meant the couches and night shifts.

"And that leaves me with this." Akashi waved the last paper in his hand... the paper with the master bedroom written on it. "You know where I'll be. Good night~" Akashi walked up the stairs, receiving looks of frustration while he did. 'He must have cheated! That's the only possible reason he won!' Aomine and Kise thought.

"He definitely cheated. There was only two papers left in that hat when I got up." Murasakibara commented. He didn't really care but he just wanted to see the two idiots get mad. "Looks like we get the couches Kuro-chin~"

Kuroko felt a bit happy that Murasakibara called him that. Did that mean Murasakibara likes him a little better now? "Okay."

"Man I'm tired~" Aomine yawned and stretched his body, "I'll just go to bed. Night Tetsu, Murasakibara~" Aomine tiredly walked away, Kise behind him.

"Good night Kuroko, Murasakibara." Midorima glanced at Takao. "Takao." The green head then proceeded to walk up the stairs.

"Still so cruel." Takao pouted but followed the doctor upstairs.

"Kuro-chin, can you take first watch?" Murasakibara asked as he laid down, already getting comfortable.

"I guess...?"

"Thanks~" Murasakibara said and was already asleep. Kuroko said and stayed sitting up on the couch so he could stay awake. Not that it would be hard because soon, Murasakibara was starting to snore. Loudly. Great. He didn't want to sleep anyway.

The night went smoothly with no incidents at all. The monsters could be heard roaming the streets outside, growling but luckily nothing happened. Akashi peacefully slept in his master bedroom with maximum comfort while in the children's room; Aomine and Kise could barely fit into the beds.

Midorima and Takao slept peacefully as well... except for the fact that Midorima had made Takao sleep on the floor at first, but then the raven head had sneaked in under the covers and managed to sleep on the bed. Unconsciously the two cuddled in their sleep.

As for Kuroko and Murasakibara, their night was very unsettling. Mostly for Kuroko who kept trying to wake the giant up but failed every single time, leaving Kuroko to do the whole night shift. When will he finally get a good nights rest? Not sleeping at all, Kuroko wasn't sure he could survive another day of travel.

When everybody woke up in the morning, they all got ready and gathered in the living room. Aomine and Kise had sore muscles; feeling like a truck had hit them. Kuroko had huge black circles under his eyes and Takao had a huge bump on his head - delivered by Midorima for sneaking into the bed and cuddling with him.

Once Akashi came downstairs, completely refreshed and rested, the group was ready to depart. Kuroko decided to take the crutches with him. They could be useful later on or he could use them to try to walk if an emergency situation arose. They could even be used as a weapon.

Because Aomine was feeling really sore and tired, Kuroko agreed that Murasakibara will carry him. Even though its not much, Kuroko and Murasakibara have definitely bonded yesterday. Even if it's a bit.

"I'm going to die of tiredness.." Kuroko groaned to Aomine who was walking alongside him and Murasakibara. "If I don't get sleep soon…"

"Don't complain Tetsu... I could barely sleep in that baby bed..." Gloomy aura emitted from both the blue heads. All they ask for is a couple of hours of sleep.

"I didn't get any sleep for like, the last three nights." Kuroko complained. "I don't want to hear you talk." He pouted towards Aomine.

"Compare three nights to incredibly sore muscles... Am I even walking? Oi doc~ You need to check me up. I think I'm sick or something..." Aomine barely managed to wave with the strength he had.

"I'm sure you'll be okay. Sore muscles didn't kill anyone in the past." Midorima sighed and pulled his glasses up.

"Then I'll be the first case." Aomine lazily said, his legs struggling to walk.

"Don't think you're the only ones who can complain!" Kise whined. He was so tired as well.

"Even if I'm not tired, I think I'm allowed to complain." Takao frowned as he rubbed the bump Midorima gave him.

"Don't complain. We have a long road ahead of us." Akashi said, not able to listen to his friends whine anymore.

"That's easy for you to say! You got to sleep in a master bedroom!" Kise said, pointing at Akashi.

Kuroko frowned as he was starting to get a headache. They really should stop bickering and whining. "Alright guys. Let's just ca-" He was cut off when suddenly the ground beneath them just gave way and they were falling. Wait, falling?! It wasn't that big of a drop but it was enough to have a few people cry out or lose their breath once they hit impact. Hopefully nothing was broken. Kuroko was just glad that Murasakibara didn't crush him when they landed.

"Is everyone alright?" Akashi quickly asked everyone after coming to his senses, panic could be sensed in his voice.

"If you call a bruised ankle okay then I am." Aomine jerked, holding his knee and pressing it closer to himself.

Midorima winced, his head hurt a little. He looked around for Takao but couldn't see him. "Where's Takao?"

"I'm over here." Takao said, sitting up from his spot, which had been behind Murasakibara, which was why Midorima didn't see him. "So you actually got scared for me huh, Shin-chan~?"

"I'm alright." Kise called out with a groan. His back really hurts and it was hard to move. Luckily he was able to sit up.

"I think I'm okay too." Kuroko answered. Besides wanting to fall asleep thanks to major headache, pain in his back and leg, and lack of sleep, he was doing pretty good.

Everyone stood up, luckily uninjured but the one Midorima was mostly concerned about was Kuroko. "Are you sure you're alright Kuroko? How is your leg?" The doctor approached the bluenette, checking his leg.

"I-It only hurts a little. Honestly." Kuroko answered as he let Midorima check his leg. "Why did we fall?"

Kise looked up before around. They didn't fall in just a hole or anything... They were in a tunnel. It was dark in the tunnels but luckily it was bright where they were since the huge hatch they fell through was still open. "Akashicchi.. It's a tunnel?"

Akashi dusted himself before looking ahead. Before them was a tunnel but because it was so dark, they couldn't see anything inside. "This is certainly a passage of some sort." He confirmed Kise's theory.

"Think it goes anywhere?" Kise asked, stepping closer to the darkness in hopes of seeing anything. "Why would someone make this? Is this some sort of trap?"

As Midorima checked his leg, Kuroko was looking around. Something about this place gave him the shivers. It was strange... It was telling his instincts to run. "I don't feel so good being here.."

"Kuroko's right. We should leave." Akashi also felt something mischievous coming from within the cave. The sooner they leave the better.

Kuroko was just glad that Akashi agreed for once but he didn't feel happy for too long. He heard something familiar. Something that wasn't good. "D-Does anyone else hear something?" He asked as he heard the whispers coming from all around in the tunnel.

"Eh? I can't hear anything." Aomine was quiet and tried to listen in on any noises but didn't hear any. Others did the same but they couldn't really hear anything.

"N-No, I know there is something in here." Kuroko said stubbornly and looked around. Was he imagining things?

The group stood in silence but nobody heard anything. "You're probably just hearing things Tetsu."

Kuroko didn't reply and just looked down. He could have sworn he heard something from the tunnel. "Never mind then.."

The group was ready to focus on climbing back up but Akashi didn't move. He stood in place looking into the dark cave. "Wait! Let's go inside." Akashi turned around to face the others, now motivated to go inside.

"Inside? Why?" Kuroko still felt bad about being in this place. He didn't want to go inside!

Akashi glanced back at the cave before back at the group. "I have a feeling we could find something inside. A clue to help us in our search for the devices."

"That's a really unlikely possibility.." Kise said with a frown. "Why do you think that?"

Akashi put his right hand on his chest, silent for a minute before looking back up. "I'm certain we will find something. I can't explain why but I believe we will."

Kuroko sighed a little. He really didn't want to go inside but he couldn't call the shots. However if he was going to go inside, he was going to walk himself with one of his own weapons. He had a bad feeling about this tunnel. Why was it there? Who made it? How come the hatch had to have so much weight on it for it to open?

"Ehhh... I don't know about this one Akashi. I mean it looks really dark inside." Aomine shuddered; there wasn't a speck of light inside!

"Yeah, and I don't even think we have a light." Takao commented.

"Let's just get out of here.." Kise said. "We already know 3 locations, it shouldn't be hard to find the fourth."

Everyone was surprised when Akashi suddenly took his bag off and ruffled through it, searching for something.

"What are you doing Akashi?" Midorima asked, confused and curious about Akashi's action. When the redhead found the object he was searching for, he threw his backpack back onto his back. A torch?

"I'll go by myself." Akashi turned towards the cave, walking inside.

"O-Oi! Its dangerous!" Aomine warned but Akashi ignored him, going deeper inside.

"Akashicchi! We need to stay together!" Kise tried to persuade the other but the redhead just kept walking. No one moved for a few seconds before everyone watched as Murasakibara started following Akashi.

"Shin-chan? What do we do? Stay or go?" Takao asked. Meanwhile Kuroko asked Aomine to help him stand and get him his crutches.

Midorima stood, watching Akashi and Murasakibara's retreating figures. This is one of the hardest decisions he's had to make for a while. Midorima clenched his fists, "Let's go." He grabbed Takao's backpack and dragged the raven head along with him into the cave.

"Are you sure you can walk by yourself? I can carry you." Aomine handed Kuroko the crutches, concerned that his friend might injure himself again.

"I'm fine. I just... don't like this place. I feel like everyone should be on their guard." Kuroko answered, trying to get used to walking on the crutches. Kise stayed right by Kuroko. If he was going to follow Akashi, he could at least help Kuroko walk while he's at it.

"Me too. This place sure gives off a bad vibe." Aomine couldn't say why but he just had that gut feeling, and everyone knows how good his gut feeling is when predicting danger that's about to come.

"And I know I definitely heard something earlier." Kuroko grumbled to himself as he followed the group with Aomine and Kise following.

The ones that were lagging behind finally caught up to Akashi and Murasakibara, making Akashi smirk. The group ventured through the cave, the only source of light being Akashi's torch.

"Where did he even get a torch anyway?" Kise whispered to Aomine as they walked side by side next to Kuroko.

"How the heck should I know? He must have picked it up somewhere." Aomine assumed, hiding behind Kuroko when he saw something move. "T-T-Tetsu... Do you think there are any ghosts around here?"

"Being the fact that an apocalypse happened, I won't even be surprised if there were ghosts in here. Good luck." Kuroko said to Aomine as he continued moving.

"Y-You don't mean..." When Aomine suddenly heard a faint sound of a scream, he hid behind Kuroko, shaking. "W-What was that!?"

"Maybe the wind." Kuroko couldn't help but smirk a little. Honestly, Aomine acted big and tough but he got so scared of the thought of ghosts. It's gold, really. Might be good use for black mail too.

"Y-Yeah... Probably just the wind... haha..." Aomine staid hidden behind the limping bluenette. Meanwhile, at the front Akashi stopped in his place. He saw something in the distance but wasn't really sure... light? A flickering light?

Kuroko barely managed to avoid hitting Akashi since Aomine was too scared to notice they stopped. He almost made Kuroko walk into Akashi! Luckily he didn't but he did notice the light too.

"What's that Akashicchi?" Kise decided to ask for the group.

"Some kind of light." Akashi assumed but wouldn't know for certain if they don't come closer. With slow and cautious steps, Akashi resumed walking forwards, leaving everybody uncertain if they should really approach the strange and scary light.

"What if it's a trap like those hatch doors?" Kise asked as Akashi kept walking.

Akashi focused on the task at hand, taking into consideration Kise's worry, but he was certain that this is a big lead. He can't stop. If he stops now then they could lose a big clue as to why the apocalypse began... even a clue on how to kill the monsters.

Even if they were probably walking into a trap, they all still followed Akashi. Some more reluctant than others but they all went nonetheless. As they got closer, the light got bigger and they could see that it was even flickering a little. So it definitely wasn't the outside.

Finally the group reached the light, widening their eyes at their discovery. The source of the light was a small TV screen that was flickering. However, the fact that the TV was placed in a laboratory was even more unsettling. The small room they discovered was definitely a laboratory as it had scientific equipment like Bunsen burners, many chemicals placed on shelves, stethoscopes and more. It also seems to have some sort of an emergency electricity back up mechanism, explaining the switched on TV screen.

"This is creepy.." Kise whispered as he looked around. The place looked almost haunted with how empty and eerie it was.

"I had a feeling something creepy was here..." Kuroko mumbled but he still felt like they haven't seen the creepy part yet.

Akashi scanned the area. He was right on the mark. There is something down here in this laboratory and they'll find out what. "Look around. We may be able to find valuable information on the monsters."

Everyone split up except Kuroko who stayed by the entrance of the lab. He didn't like this place. It was too suspicious for him and besides; he didn't want to get in the way with his crutches.

Aomine ruffled through some of the boxes he found, scanning through the many papers. There were so many documents that he was sure he wouldn't be able to see all of them in time.

Midorima spotted some medical equipment and examined it. It was strange... most of the medical equipment is suppose to be used on humans. Perhaps this was an infirmary? Or maybe they were used to experiment on people? Midorima wasn't sure, but one thing he could say for sure... those items were definitely used on humans, not monsters.

After a few more minutes of looking, Kise let out a small cry of joy when he lifted up a tablet that had been dropped under a table used to hold injured people about to have surgery. The screen was cracked a little but hopefully it still worked. "Akashicchi! Look!"

Akashi approached the blonde, looking at the object in his hand. It was a tablet. They all know what a tablet gave them last time... information! Maybe this one could hold some valuable data just like the previous one they found. "Does it work?" Sadly without power, no device will work.

"We have to see.." Kise mumbled as he turned it on while the others gathered around. Kuroko was still where he was although he was listening. The tablet only had so little power but they might have enough power to play a video if there is one. Once Kise found the video, he pressed play.

It was a different scientist that looked like he was in the very room they were standing in. Except the room was much cleaner and organized in the video. At first the man was talking about the things they already knew in a rushed tone. About the monsters, devices, subject 4's escape, everything they knew so far. Then they continued speaking.

"Before escape... experiments... strange behav-.." The video kept getting static and the tablet was starting to show the low battery sign. "Building ne-" Suddenly the tablet turned dark and Kise shook if, trying to turn it back on but it just wouldn't turn back on. "We barely got anything out of that!"

Akashi put his hand on his chin, analyzing the new information. However, from what they could hear and see the context wasn't clear at all. There was no way they could get anything from the tape.

Kuroko couldn't get anything from it at all either. All it did was just tell them what they already knew and turned off before they could learn more. If that wasn't frustrating enough, those whispers from before were returning. "Can we go soon, please?"

Akashi nodded; they should leave before something jumps out at them from the darkness. "Gather anything useful you've found. We're leaving."

Everyone started moving around again and packing whatever seemed useful which wasn't much. Kuroko tried focusing on just watching the group but he was starting to get annoyed. Those whispers were getting louder. Was he really nuts or something? Whether he was or not, they needed to stop.

"Enough!" Kuroko managed to startle almost everyone with his sudden outburst. The other couldn't help it. It was like the whispering was right behind him. Even as he swung one of his crutches towards the darkness out of frustration, he didn't expect it to hit something that yelped then growled. Then Kuroko realized that those whispers he heard were familiar. They were from one of the monsters. It wasn't from his head!

Kuroko nearly fell forward into the darkness when his crutch was tugged from his hand. Luckily Kise was there to help him back. "It's there.. It was waiting for us.." The monster must've realized his cover was blown because soon it jumped from the darkness towards Kuroko and Kise. Kuroko had been moved away thanks to Kise and managed to avoid the creatures pounce. Kise however was immediately pinned under the monster.

"You bitch!" Aomine immediately ran towards the monster, intending to punch it but just when he was about to make impact the monster jumped away, avoiding the attack.

"Food for.. la.. ter.." Kuroko heard the monster grumble. What was it talking about? He watched at the creature moved away from Aomine's attack but soon rushed at Aomine to force the other back. Then it grabbed Kise with its huge weird hands and began to drag the struggling blond.

"Oi Let go you bastard!" Aomine yelled and grabbed Kise's left leg to prevent the monster from dragging him away. Soon after, Akashi, Midorima, Murasakibara and Takao joined in the tug of war.

The only one left not doing anything was Kuroko. What could he do? He couldn't help pull Kise away with everyone else. With his leg, he'd just be getting in the way since he would have no anchor. So what could he do? That was when he suddenly got an idea. It was worth a shot. After all, he couldn't just sit by and do nothing.

He shakily got up, wincing at the pressure on his leg. He hoped this didn't damage it... He shook his head and looked at the creature who was struggling to pull Kise into the darkness of the tunnel. Kuroko took a deep breath before running towards it. The first step really hurt and he almost fell, but he ignored the pain. It can't be worse than what might happen to Kise if he was taken.

Once he was close enough, he jumped a little and was able to catch the creatures shoulders from behind. It wasn't enough force to knock it down and it still didn't let go of Kise. So Kuroko climbed up as quickly as he could, his hands clawing at the face of the beast to not only hurt it but to also stay on its back. Then he noticed something. A dark mark was on the back of the creature's neck. It almost blended in with its skin but now that Kuroko noticed it, it was obvious. What is this? He was pulled out of his thoughts when the creature roared in pain as one of Kuroko's hands scratched at its eye, making it bleed heavily.

Everyone was startled when Kuroko did the unthinkable. How could a person jump on the monster? Endangering themselves? "Jump off Kuroko!" Akashi raised his voice so that the bluenette would be able to hear him in this chaos. If the monster lets Kise go then it could take Kuroko away instead. Putting him in grave danger.

Kuroko couldn't let go now. The beast was still trying to pull Kise despite being in so much pain. There was really only one thing left that he could think of. He focused on trying to scratch the other eye out which was pretty easy. Who knew eyes were so easy to break?

The creature practically screamed in pain, which hurt everyone's ears, especially Kuroko's. It let go of Kise and just as Kuroko jumped off, the creatures turned around and blindly ran down the tunnel. There were a few loud slams, which indicated that the beast was hitting walls as it ran but soon it stopped.

"Tetsu!" As soon as the beast had run off, Aomine hurried to see how Kuroko was doing. Meanwhile, the others approached Kise to see his condition as well. Midorima didn't have time to tend to both but will have to see them one by one. When he noticed the puddle of blood next to Kise's leg, it sounded alarm bells.

"How bad does it hurt?" Midorima kneeled down next to the blonde, quickly getting his medical equipment out.

"I'm fine I'm fine! Really!" Kise insisted. "It's only a scratch I think. Just a... really big scratch." He tried to smile to reassure those around him.

"I'm fine Aomine-kun." Kuroko said and tried to get up. He nearly slipped with the blood on his hands. He looked at his hands and saw black blood on them instead of normal blood. Just seeing the blood of that monster reminded him of that Mark. What was that? Why did it have a mark?

"What is that? That's not your blood right?" Aomine touched the black liquid on Kuroko's clothes and when he did, he found out it was all gooey and sticky, "That's gross!"

Kuroko gave Aomine a look before wiping his bloody hands on Aomine's pants. "Now help me up please."

"O-Oi! Don't get it on me!" Aomine jacked away but before he could move away Kuroko had already managed to rub the black blood on him. "You owe me new pants Tetsu." Aomine sighed before outstretching his hand to help Kuroko up. While he did that, Midorima tended to the wounded Kise.

"Don't you dare sleep! Keep him awake Takao!" Midorima commanded, disinfecting the wound and putting on the bandages around the large wound. Now with Kise wounded, they are two men down. It didn't help that Kuroko might have injured himself further. Midorima couldn't complain since he did save Kise, but as a doctor he's frustrated that Kuroko's wound has worsened instead of healed.

Kuroko was going to reply to Aomine but he stopped when he watched Kise getting treated. So this is how he was a few days ago when he got injured. Why did Kise have to push him out of the way? If he didn't, he wouldn't have been injured.

"I should have stopped that monster quicker.. then maybe he wouldn't have gotten hurt.." Kuroko mumbled to himself as he watched Takao keeping Kise awake by talking to him and getting the other to talk back. "Why did he push me out of the way?"

"Idiot." Aomine hit Kuroko on the head.

"H-Hey, what was that for!" Kuroko looked at Aomine with a frown.

"Isn't it obvious? We look out for each other!" Aomine's eyes moved to Kise. "Idiots."

Midorima finished the last touches to bandage Kise's leg. "It's done." Midorima breathed a sigh of relief but not for long. The monster could have escaped but there may be more than one. "We have to leave. Takao and Midorima will carry Kise and Aomine will help Kuroko. We need to be quick, there could be more of those monsters hiding in the shadows."

As they all began to carefully yet quickly make their way back to the hatch doors, Kuroko was thinking to himself. _Looking out for each other? But I'm not really apart of the group.. I am just someone who is tagging along. I don't know Kise-san as much as everyone else._

Why did Kise have to push him out the way and get injured? Now there were two injured people on the team and Kuroko was nearly tired of weighing everyone down. But what could he do? He didn't want to die and staying with this group was his only way of living for now.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell: So when we try to write notes, it's automatically set to "Bold" because our names our bold so usually we turn it off to write our notes BUT my tablet keeps glitching out whenever I touch thr Bold or italics button (it did this before) so I'll write a short note too. Please enjoy the chapter and help KT feel better!**

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello :D I've been feeling a bit sick lately so sorry for the short note :( I hope you liked the chapter and thank you so much for your wonderful reviews :) See you next week.

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	5. File 05

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

As everyone quickly made their way out of the cave, they were quickly faced by another obstacle. The pit hole itself. They found the laboratory by pure coincidence when they fell down into the hole but now they'll have to climb back up. Now exactly a perfect situation you would want to be in when you have two injured people with you. What's more, night is soon approaching.

Akashi stood in place but with little choice he's forced to take the only available option. "We'll have to carry Kise and Kuroko up. I'll climb first and throw a rope to help the climbers carrying the wounded."

It was decided that Aomine would carry one and Murasakibara would carry the other. Since Kise was bigger and heavier, Murasakibara would carry him up. That means Aomine gets Kuroko. "It's funny how we're almost always paired together." He said to Aomine as they watched Akashi climb.

"Heh~ Just means we're good partners." Aomine extended his hand for a fist bump. "You know, you're not half bad. It was kinda funny when you threw yourself at the monster. A bit weird but still you saved the blondie. Nice one partner!"

"It just came to mind. It always worked in the movies, right?" Kuroko asked with a small smile. However he was still worried about Kise and that mark. The mark might be nothing but it was weird for the monster to have it…

"Haha you're a weirdo... I-I mean a good type of weirdo!" Aomine scratched his head, still holding out his hand for Kuroko to bump.

"Just for that, I'm not fist bumping with you." Kuroko said and looked away, pretending to be sad.

"O-Oi!" Aomine frowned because he looked like an idiot now. "Bu-" But before Aomine could say anything more, Akashi threw down the rope. Since Kise is critically injured, he will have to go first.

Midorima and Takao helped Murasakibara put Kise on his back, "Careful. He's heavily wounded."

"Hai~" Murasakibara made sure Kise was holding on as tightly as he could before starting the tedious task of climbing the rope.

"Do you still want that fist bump? You have to apologize to me~" Kuroko told Aomine.

Aomine sighed, "I'm beginning to think you like teasing me Tetsu. Two can play at this game~" Aomine teased back, ruffling Kuroko's head with his hand.

Kuroko slightly leaned into the touch with a smile. "We will see about that."

Aomine smirked but soon returned his gaze to the giant who was climbing up. If Murasakibara were to fall, it would really be something. Due to his massive size even Kise could get squashed!

"Murasakibaricchi! Please don't drop me." Kise held onto the other tightly.

"If I fall, I fall~" Murasakibara said and Kise didn't feel anymore comforted.

Murasakibara climbed up at a slower pace, making everyone anxious by each passing minute now that the night is closer and closer with each second. When he finally managed to reach the top, it was time for the second injured patient to be taken up.

Aomine took the rope before looking over at Kuroko, "I'm gonna start climbing. Ready?"

"I'm ready." Kuroko assured Aomine, holding on a little tighter just in case.

"Hold tight." Aomine began climbing up. It was going to be challenging but he wasn't planning on being as slow as Murasakibara. The tanned teen maneuvered, quickly climbing up which made Kuroko tighten his hold on him more. He was going to complain but Kuroko understood that night was coming, and soon. They need to find shelter, not waste time here.

Once they made it to the top, Kuroko sighed in relief. They made it without any troubles! He took a chance to look down the hole and frowned. It really did look like a trap of some sort. A trap made to capture large and heavy animals…

By the time Midorima and Takao (the last pair) made it up, the sunset was already closing and night was right around the corner. It was just a question of time when the monsters would appear. Akashi knew they had to find shelter fast but would they be able to in such a rush?

"Kuroko do you know if there is a shelter here? Anything we can find to hide for the night." Since Kuroko already passed by this area while he was travelling to Kyoto, he must have had places where he hid during the night.

Kuroko looked around, trying to find out if there was anything familiar to him. At first he wasn't sure if he came through here, even if it was just a few days ago. But now... He looked down and clutched to Aomine a little tighter. It was either "that place" or death...

"There's.. There's a place just up ahead, maybe a ten-minute walk but perhaps a five-minute run. It's a cave that's pretty hidden.." Kuroko murmured but just loud enough for most of the group to hear.

Akashi nodded, "Let's go, time is running out." They all noticed Kuroko's hesitancy but its not like they have a choice. It's either that or imminent death. They also had suspicions about the place itself since Kuroko hesitated but this time they'll have to trust him.

The group ran/fast walked towards the place, mainly because of Kise's injuries; otherwise they would run there as fast as they could. They entered the forests and followed Kuroko's directions to a dark cave.

The closer they got to the cave, the darker it got. It also made Kuroko more nervous and cling onto Aomine tighter. At one point Aomine had to get him to stop since he was nearly choking the other. He wasn't sure if he could do this.

When he noticed the cave (which was still thankfully hidden), Kuroko shook his head. "N-No. I can't.. I can't go in." Maybe there was another cave around that they could find? But it was already dark and they were close to this cave!

"Huh? Why? Is something wrong with the cave?" Aomine felt Kuroko's trembling hands cling to him, which made him worried but also scared for the safety of everyone. If they don't find a shelter soon, they're dead meat.

Kuroko took a deep breath. He couldn't get everyone including himself killed. But was he ready to face this spot again? "No.. I'm mistaken. I was thinking of a different cave. This one's fine.."

While Aomine was concerned for Kuroko, Akashi observed the teen in thought. It didn't seem like the cave itself is dangerous, only that it holds frightening memories for Kuroko. Well, its not like they have a choice. Whatever is haunting Kuroko, he'll have to face it.

"We're going inside." The group climbed up the rocks and went into the dark cave. Luckily it was deep so if they decided to light a fire, the monsters from the outside wouldn't be able to see it.

Kuroko kept his eyes closed as soon as they entered the cave. He didn't want to see it. He didn't know if he was ready to see it.

The group reached the end of the cave and decided to settle down here. Murasakibara carefully placed Kise down with Midorima immediately going to him. "How are you feeling? Any pain?" The doctor of the group began checking the injured leg.

"I'm fine I'm fine." Kise assured with a reluctant smile. Meanwhile that was happening, everyone else was making themselves at home except Kuroko. He had been placed against the wall by Aomine who tiredly sat down next to him. All Kuroko could do was stare at one spot on the cave floor.

Not many noticed this since everyone was tired, but of course Akashi noticed. But surprisingly Murasakibara did as well. That's why the giant decided to take a seat by Akashi to speak with him. "Aka-chin, do you think you know what's wrong with Kuro-chin?"

Akashi didn't say anything, looking over at Kuroko before speaking up, "If I had to take a guess then I assume something had happened in this cave while Kuroko was travelling to Kyoto. Perhaps... a death of his comrade or companion?" That was the immediate reason that jumped out at him.

If that was true then it was amazing to think of Kuroko having to face this area just to make sure they were all safe. Murasakibara didn't really say anything more but he did look at Akashi, giving him a look that suggested maybe he should do something.

Noticing the glare, Akashi sighed, "You're too soft." He said before standing up and walking up to Kuroko. He approached him and kneeled down in front of him, since Kuroko was in a daze Akashi had to tilt his head up by the chin, "You hold special feelings towards this cave don't you? Did something happen?"

Kuroko looked up at Akashi then glanced to the side. He didn't want to seem like a nuisance to everyone by complaining about his best friend's death. "It's nothing... don't worry about it."

Akashi didn't say anything as everyone's attention slowly shifted to Kuroko, the room became quiet. "You realize your behavior could cost us our lives?"

Kuroko closed his eyes at those words. Cost them their lives huh? If they all died here, that would make the cave seem like a cave of death. After all, this cave is where Ogiwara had died. He didn't respond to Akashi, unsure of what to say.

"Could you tell us what happened?" Maybe if Kuroko tells them what happened, then he could get some of the stress from his chest.

"I don't.. I don't want to seem like I'm complaining or become a bother.." Kuroko reluctantly answered with. "I'll be fine.."

"You'll be a nuisance if you don't tell us. You already are but you'll be an even bigger one if you don't talk." The other didn't do anything to help so far and has only been slowing them down. If he ends up killing them because of his 'problem' then he might be the end of them as well.

Kuroko already knew he was slowing them down; he didn't need to be reminded! It's not like he asked for the wound to his leg! "Fine, if you want to know so badly, then fine. My only friend died right in this cave and it was all my fault. I was on watch but I must've accidentally fell asleep. I woke up to his screams and he died right there," He looked at the spot in the middle of the cave. "To one of those monsters. And I didn't even do anything to avenge him."

Great now they'd all think he was untrustworthy and a coward. It's probably what he deserved anyway. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He didn't want to get mad or cry.

The cave became quiet once again. Nobody knew what to say... no wonder Kuroko didn't want to go inside. "It's not your fault Tetsu. There's no way you could have done something." Aomine knew that situations like those could happen. In the world they live in now, anything could happen.

"It is my fault. If I had just kept watch, he wouldn't have died." Kuroko was angry at first but by the end of his sentence, his voice was nearly cracking. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "Just please forget about it."

"We can't forget about it. Not tonight when we're sleeping here." Akashi stressed.

"Someone else should do night shift then." Murasakibara commented bluntly. Kuroko slightly glared at him but didn't say anything else.

"Pretty intense.." Takao said quietly. He was sure that he was wondering what everyone else was wondering. Was it safe to stay in this cave?

"From a doctor's perspective, I can say that dozing off is not uncommon and I presume would be one of the leading factors for death." In the world they live in now anyway, "Since survivors are always on alert they naturally don't get much sleep."

"Exactly! So its not your fault!" Aomine stood up and walked up to Kuroko, kneeling down beside Akashi. "We're a team now. We have to trust each other."

"Yeah! We can't be a team if we can't trust each other." Kise agreed.

But Kuroko didn't see himself as a member of the team. He just saw himself as some guy who is weighing this team down. "It still doesn't change the fact that he's gone." He muttered before looking up at Aomine and the rest. "I trust you guys even though we met only a while ago, but I know you don't trust me. Especially after how I got someone killed because I fell asleep during my shift…"

"Precisely." Akashi stood up and walked over to the fire. "You're an unknown factor. For all we know you may have hidden motives for being with us." Akashi's words made Aomine stand up, "But Akashi, he didn't attack us or do anything to harm us! How can you say that?"

"And if he wanted to hurt or kill us, he wouldn't have saved me. Twice!" Kise tried to defend Kuroko. He liked the newbie to the group. He was nice, and he really did appreciate the two times Kuroko has saved him.

"I trust him." Aomine did take a liking to Kuroko as well. The other was fun to be with and he got along with him really well.

"Perhaps you do but I don't. He hasn't done anything trustworthy to earn my trust." As the leader, Akashi doesn't take chances. Why should he trust someone who they just met? He did save Kise but that isn't enough for Akashi.

Midorima tilted his glasses up, "I can't say I trust Kuroko. As Akashi said, we did meet him not long ago. It takes longer than that to built up trust."

"Look, can we not deal with this now?" Kuroko suddenly said. "I told you what happen like you asked. Now we all know I'm not trust worthy for night watch. Can we just please go to sleep?"

"It's not you who decides that." Akashi said with irritation as he sat down beside the fire. The others looked down, not knowing what their feelings are about Kuroko. They did acknowledge that he saved Kise but still... trust is a hard thing to give.

Before Aomine could move away, Kuroko asked him if he could help him get further into the cave. He didn't want to be so close to the place where Ogiwara died and where the group was.

Aomine helped the teen up, "Are you sure you're okay? I can sleep beside you if you want." Seeing someone hurt always made Aomine help. Especially if its a situation like this.

"Do what you want." Kuroko murmured with a soft sigh. He was still surprised that Aomine would be so close to him even though it was proved that mostly everyone in the group probably didn't even like Kuroko to begin with. Won't that cause trouble in the group?

When Aomine brought Kuroko to the spot he wanted to sleep in tonight, he didn't hesitate to sit down next to him and lay down. He felt responsible and wanted to be there for Kuroko. It wasn't long before Aomine and the others fell asleep, leaving Kuroko and Kise (who is the first on guard) awake.

Even if Kuroko wanted to, he couldn't fall asleep despite being so exhausted. Maybe it was because he was afraid of the haunting nightmares of Ogiwara's death. Or maybe it was because he didn't want to fall asleep and somehow let a creature in, even if he wasn't on watch. Whatever the reason was, all Kuroko knew was that he just couldn't sleep.

Eventually Kise turned in for the night, letting Aomine take the next shift. But as soon as Kise was asleep, Kuroko had quietly asked Aomine if he could take watch. The others like Akashi and Midorima might be furious if they realize he took watch, but he felt like he just needed to do this.

Aomine was torn. He didn't know what decision to make, knowing Akashi will be furious if he finds out that Kuroko took watch. However, Aomine felt hat this cave was special to Kuroko... There must be a reason he asked to watch. Aomine thought but soon gave up and listened to his instincts instead. In the end he let Kuroko do his job of watching as he went back to sleep.

It was another sleepless night but Kuroko didn't mind. He felt both afraid and satisfied now that he's taking watch. No creature came by and he never even closed his eyes for more than five minutes. If only he could have done this when Ogiwara was around...

The sun was already rising and a few rays of light were lighting up the cave. Kuroko wasn't sure if he should wake anyone yet so he decided to just let them sleep a little longer and wake up naturally.

As the sun rays found their way into the cave, one of them shone directly onto Akashi's eyes, slowly waking him up. The redhead sat up with a sigh, stretching his arms in the air. However, when he looked around he noticed that only Kuroko was awake, everybody else was sleeping. Could it be...?

"Are you patrolling?"

Kuroko looked back at Akashi and sighed. Now was the moment he dreaded. "Yes. I am." He answered shortly, looking back towards the cave entrance.

"I see." Akashi clenched his blanket. "And who did you switch with?"

"..If I tell you, they won't get in trouble right?" Kuroko asked, glancing back at Akashi. He didn't want anyone to get in trouble since this was his idea.

"That is for me to decide, all you have to do is tell me who switched with you." Akashi slowly stood up from his sleeping bag, but Kuroko could clearly tell by his voice and tone that he was furious, even though he was holding himself back.

"If they get in trouble then I won't. This was my idea and this is what I wanted. If you want to punish someone or scold someone, do it to me." Kuroko watched Akashi closely.

"Why did you do it? To make amends for your friend's death? Or did you want to make yourself feel better, now that you accomplished the task you couldn't before?" Akashi's eyes glowed slightly.

"I'm sorry if I sound rude, but that's none of your business." Kuroko stated. "The important thing is that we are all alive, right?"

"Rather confident for a person who killed their comrade." Akashi's sentence cut Kuroko like a knife, "And now you risked the lives of everyone in our group? That immediately makes it 'my business'." The anger and rage could be felt in the redhead's voice as he faced Kuroko. "I'll punish you and your accomplice accordingly." His eyes drifted off to the sleeping Aomine, who is the only one in the group who would do such a thing. Not to mention that Kuroko gets along the best with the tanned teen.

"He didn't do anything. Don't punish Aomine-kun when he didn't do anything." Kuroko pleaded as he turned completely to face Akashi. He wished he could stand to seem taller but he couldn't do that, not when he strained his leg yesterday during that monster attack.

"As I said before, that's not for you to decide." Akashi took a pan full of water that was beside the fire and poured it on Aomine, suddenly waking him up.

"W-What's happening!?" He immediately sat up, waking everybody else with his loud voice. Then when he noticed Akashi beside him, everything was crystal clear. "A-Akashi?"

"Good morning Aomine, although it may not be such a good morning for you since you decided to leave the patrolling to Kuroko." Aomine's face paled.

"I-It's not what it looks like, I swear." He tried but Akashi wasn't buying it.

"Since you put the team in danger a punishment is in order. No food for a week, that counts for you as well Kuroko."

"Don't punish him when he did nothing!" Kuroko tried again to convince Akashi. "Even if that means his week is added to mine, I don't care. Don't punish him. Please."

"What's happening..?" Kise asked tiredly. Why did they all have to wake up to this?

"Don't push it or I will extend your starvation to two weeks." However, he would still punish Aomine as well. It seems the newbie doesn't know his place and Akashi wasn't going to let him do what he wants.

"Why are you acting like this? I know I haven't stayed around long, but you don't have to be such a jerk to both me and your comrade-"

"You're the one who's being a jerk." Most were surprised when Murasakibara suddenly spoke up. The giant looked angry but that might've been because he was just woken up to yelling. But Kuroko was pretty sure there was a deeper reason because Murasakibara looked almost dangerously furious.

Kuroko had no choice but to look away and quiet down. He looked down and his lap, trying to look anywhere but at the group.

Akashi sighed, its not a good morning but hopefully they won't have any misfortunes on their journey. "Anyone else who lets Kuroko patrol will be punished as well. Now that that's settled, we have to pack. We have a long day ahead of us."

Everyone tiredly began to move, taking their things and packing them away. At least with the punishment they would have more food, since Kuroko and Aomine wouldn't be eating. However, Midorima couldn't say he was pleased, mainly due to Kuroko being a patient but it couldn't be helped. He did break the rules of the group and disobey Akashi, not to mention that he was careless.

Aomine grumbled, walking over to Kuroko before sitting down next to him. "Hey, thanks for standing up for me. Nobody has ever done that for me. Ever."

Kuroko glanced at Aomine before looking back down at his legs. "Yeah. But it still didn't help." He sighed and watched everyone pack their things. "You shouldn't keep acting buddy-buddy with me anymore. I got you in trouble when you didn't even do anything. You should be hating me now since you won't be able to get food.." He's been having sleepless nights for at least a week and now he couldn't have food for a week? Was he going to survive?

"Hate you? I can't do that. I really like you, ehm... not that way since you have your pans, but I like you as a person! I think you're really easy to get along with plus you're reliable. You don't like boobs but I can live with that." Aomine smiled, "Sorry but I want to keep being buddy-buddy with you and nobody will stop me. You're stuck with me." He put his arm around Kuroko, almost knocking him down when his body leaned on the smaller one.

He knew he shouldn't be, but Kuroko was glad that Aomine didn't walk away or give up on being friends with him. The other was really kind even though Kuroko got him in trouble. It reminded him of... He closed his eyes tightly, turning his head into Aomine so no one would notice that he was fighting off tears. "Thanks Aomine-kun.."

Aomine looked down at Kuroko who clung to his shirt. He could hear faint sobs and that alone made him stand still and let Kuroko do as he wants. Aomine knows the cave holds special meaning to the other, not to mention what just happened with Akashi. Kuroko needed a break or at least somebody to tell him that everything will be okay. "Don't mention it."

While Aomine and Kuroko were talking, the rest packed. Akashi who had his sleeping bag next to Murasakibara, packed it next to him as he spared a couple of glances at the guilty duo. "Keep a close eye on him. He will cause problems in the future." Akashi told the purple head as he rolled up his sleeping bag.

"Got it Aka-chin~" Murasakibara wasn't as angry as before but he still felt annoyed on the inside. Maybe a meal would help. And since Kuroko and Aomine won't be eating for a week, he'll be able to get more!

However, Murasakibara didn't have any time to eat as the group soon took their leave. Sun was up and they had a limited amount of time to move. They can't waste it, if they do, it might potentially kill them.

However, before they left, Kuroko asked one more favor of Aomine. The tanned teed did as he was told and picked a flower that was blooming nearby, while Kuroko took a small rock to write something on the walls of the cave. "What're you writing Tetsu?"

"Just... something." Kuroko murmured as he looked at the spot where Ogiwara had been killed. He couldn't save Ogiwara but he would make sure to never forget him. He started writing on the spot carefully with the rock. It wouldn't last forever but it gave Kuroko some peace. Aomine did look over Kuroko's shoulder to see what he's writing, but all that was there was "never forget". Once he was finished, Kuroko looked up at Aomine. "Can I have the flower please?"

Aomine gave Kuroko the flower and he put it right beside the words. When combined together, it really seemed like a grave or a tombstone.

Kuroko looked at the "grave", a mix of sadness and peace on his face. He didn't say anything out loud but in his mind, he was saying a few words to Ogiwara. Hopefully the other would hear his apologies.

"Let's go. We shouldn't keep the others waiting." Kuroko suddenly said, looking up at Aomine. They had a lot of traveling to do.

"Yeah." Aomine picked Kuroko up (since he was still injured) and carried him on his back out of the cave. Kuroko looked back and with the 'grave' slowly leaving his sight, he turned around again to face the front. Ogiwara will never be forgotten. He will always be with Kuroko, no matter where he goes. That's the least he could do to make amends.

Aomine and Kuroko reunited with the group, receiving glares from Akashi before they resumed their journey to the east, to Tokyo where the next piece of the puzzle awaits.

In the lead was Aomine who was carrying Kuroko; the guide, then there was Murasakibara who had to carry Kise. Now their number of injured has risen to two, which put a heavier weight on the team. This will slow them down tremendously but its not like they can't help it. Even a better reason not to waste time and move on.

The journey didn't take as long as Kuroko had made it when he was traveling away from Tokyo. The reason why they made it there faster was because they barely made any stops. They only made stops during the night or when they reached a small town or city to raid.

The two injured, Kuroko and Kise, steadily healed. At first Kuroko hadn't been healing because the poor newbie was already having sleepless nights to begin with. In the first week without food, Kuroko passed out a few times before Midorima recommended feeding him. Kuroko did try to refuse but it's hard to refuse a doctor... But eventually the two did heal. They were still wobbly on their feet since Midorima said it would take at least a month to completely heal, but they could start walking after a week or so.

Things were pretty much the same once they made it to Tokyo. The group only trusted the original group (exclude Aomine trusting Kuroko) and Kuroko felt like he was still against the world. But there was nothing he could do about that. Not when that redhead keeps finding any excuse that could get him in trouble.

Not only Akashi but it was also Murasakibara who was giving him a hard time. Every time Kuroko would attempt to say something against Akashi or even just stare at him in defiance, Murasakibara would return the fire. It surprised Kuroko just how protective he is of him, making him feel that the progress he has made so far with Murasakibara has been for nothing. In order for them to become friends and get Murasakibara on his good side, is for Kuroko to get along with Akashi, which would be a really difficult task.

He will try but it will definitely take time. That said, Kuroko felt a bit awkward because he was currently walking side by side with the said giant as they entered Tokyo city. The group finally reached their goal but it took them the entire day to travel. Night is coming and they'll need to find shelter soon.

Akashi and the others have never been to Tokyo before so Akashi turned to Kuroko, "Do you know anywhere we can hide for tonight?"

"Well.." His house shouldn't be too far from here. If it isn't completely destroyed or unsafe to stay, they could camp there for the night. "I know a place." Kuroko answered, already starting to walk. They didn't want to be caught up in the night after all.

They all followed, looking around the ruined city. Some skyscrapers were standing but they weren't straight, they were leaning a bit to the side. There were also many abandoned cars that stood out in the streets; some even had their doors opened. Everything was deserted, not a soul to be seen.

Midorima looked around while walking, hoping to see a pharmacy or some kind of medical facility but sighed when he saw none. He spotted Takao looking over at an arcade but pulled the other who pouted.

The sight amazed Akashi. Not only because Tokyo was much bigger than Kyoto but also because of the fact that he had never been here before the apocalypse. He really hoped to see Tokyo someday but not like this. All ruined.

It was a bit of a walk but the group made it to a secure enough house by nightfall. There were no arguments over if the house was safe enough since it was practically dark already (not that anyone opposed too much).

"What is this place?" Kise asked as he looked around. It was an empty house besides a few broken pictures or glass here and there. That must've meant the kitchen was ransacked too..

Kuroko looked a bit upset but he was mostly nostalgic. He went to a broken picture frame to see if any picture was still there. Sadly there wasn't. Must've blew away with the wind or something. "This is my home before everything happened."

"Y-Your house?" Aomine was surprised but so were the others. Who knew Kuroko would bring the to his house? But then again, this might be the best place for a hideout; since Kuroko knows the area and can navigate them easily from here.

"Sorry to intrude." Aomine said as the group entered what seemed like the living room, at least that's what it seems to be due to the mess.

"Sorry it's a mess. Can't really help that." Kuroko said with a hesitant smile. "Sorry I brought you here but it was the first place I thought of that felt safe." Kuroko admitted. "I hope it doesn't bother anyone?"

"Hey, it's better than outside." Takao said with a shrug. He'd rather be inside than outside with those monsters.

Midorima pushed up his glasses, "Hmph. It's not like we have a choice." He said but Takao started to giggle. Midorima was such a tsundere.

Akashi looked over to the windows and any other openings the house may have. Although there were many broken windows, luckily they had persiennes to close up with. It seems the house is safe.

"If you don't mind, can we look around?"

"Sure. I need to make sure the upstairs is safe anyway." Kuroko wondered if his room looked kind of the same. He didn't have much in it before the apocalypse so it probably didn't change much. Right?

"Can I go with you? I want to see your room." Aomine asked, curious on how his new friend's room looks like. While he asked, everyone else scattered around.

"It might not look good, you know that right?" Kuroko said as he started walking upstairs. He went up to his room and opened the door, which was still closed. That might've been a good sign. He opened the door and looked inside. His bed we still there and so was his dresser, but all the drawers were pulled out. The small bookshelf he had on the wall was there had no books on it any more. It looks like the books were thrown about too. "Now who would throw books?" He sighed, picking them up to fix them.

Aomine entered right after him, seeing the chaotic state of the room. "Survivors take anything they can find, but you're right. Who needs books anyway?" He walked over to help Kuroko, "Wait! Don't tell me you had those... you know... books... so they took them?"

"I'm telling you now, I didn't have any perverted books of any kinds. None with women or men or anything like that." Kuroko then glared at Aomine. "No pans either."

"None at all? Geez Tetsu... Where is your will to explore? Aren't you at least a bit interested?" Aomine huffed as he put a book back onto the shelf.

"I told you, I'm not perverted." Kuroko went to Aomine's side to put the books in his hands back on the shelf. "Besides, I really don't want to waste money on things like that."

"It's not a waste of money." Aomine mumbled to himself so that Kuroko couldn't hear him. "Alright, what is your type then? Tell me and yours truly will find a book just for you!" He grinned, his spirits high again. If he knew what Kuroko's type is, then surely he could get the other to read at least one of his books. "I mean there are also many types of pans. Which one do you like?"

"I told you that I don't like pans!" Kuroko huffed as he put the last book on the shelf. "I don't know what my type is. I never dated before and I told you, I like based on personality. If I had a type I guess it would have to be… someone who's nice and responsible, but isn't too uptight I guess? I don't know."

"Someone nice and responsible? Hmmm... I don't know anyone like that... I guess Akashi and Midorima are responsible but they sure as hell aren't nice." Who would think of the red demon as 'nice'? The thought of Akashi smiling made shivers run through his spine. Even his smile imaginative smile is frightening!

"Your type is too broad. Choo-" Suddenly, while standing up on his toes to put a book higher up on the shelf, Aomine slipped and fell down, falling down right on Kuroko, making him fall down too.

At first the fall hurt, especially when Aomine landed on him. Kuroko winced and hoped his leg was okay. It was still in the healing process even though he could walk now. However when Aomine panicked and tried getting up quick, his knee which was between Kuroko's legs managed to rub "somewhere" which made Kuroko silently gasp, worrying Aomine further.

"S-Sorry!" Aomine blushed and quickly moved, only to fall down again but this time his upper half fell down on Kuroko's chest, completely laying down on him. He quickly moved and stood up on all fours but unfortunately his leg managed to rub "something" again, making his face tomato red.

"J-Just get up!" Kuroko exclaimed with a red face of his own. He's never been touched down there by another person, and he definitely didn't plan for it to be by someone he didn't like romantically.

Just as Kuroko placed his hands on Aomine's chest to push him off completely, the door was quickly opened. "Kurokocchi! I heard you yell and-" Kise stopped and took in the scene. Aomine on top of Kuroko, Kuroko having his hands on Aomine's chest, both of them blushing.. Just the sight made Kise feel... irritated? Frustrated? Both?

Aomine's blush intensified, going to the limit by just how red a face can become. "No! This isn't what it looks like! I don't like pans!"

"I don't like pans!" Kuroko said in return, pushing against Aomine again. Kise was just quiet for a moment, watching the two. "Sorry. I'll knock next time so I don't interrupt your guy's private moment."

"Kise-kun, it's not like that." Kuroko insisted, finally getting Aomine off him. But Kise was already gone from the room.

They both stared at the closed door in embarrassment. What did just happen? Kise wasn't going to spread a rumor of them dating or something... right?

"Sorry Tetsu. I slipped." Aomine apologized, head low. It really was an accident! He couldn't help it! It all happened too fast and suddenly! How was he going to live this down?

"I guess it's alright.." Kuroko said, crossing his legs in embarrassment. He was just glad that nothing "popped up". "We should go down quickly in case some rumor is being spread. Would Kise-kun do that?"

"Heck if it's Kise he might do it!" Aomine quickly stood up and opened the doors. "We have to find him quick!" He said before running down the stairs.

Kuroko sighed and slowly got up. He was a bit shaky after what happened but he was just really lucky that nothing was obvious. He followed Aomine down stairs. There wasn't any talk about Aomine and Kuroko yet so that's a good sign.

Although there was no talk yet, Aomine didn't want to risk it. He went straight to the blonde, looking for him everywhere he could. Finally he found him in the kitchen and walked up to him, "Kise, don't get the wrong idea! Nothing happened okay? I just slipped and fell."

"Yeah. I get it." Kise replied with practically no emotion. He was just looking through the cabinets as a distraction even though it was obvious everything was ransacked and gone.

"You realize nothing is there, right? And you don't sound convincing at all. Nothing happened okay?" Aomine put his hands on Kise's shoulders, making him look up at him.

"I understand okay? I'm not going to go tell everyone that you and Kurokocchi nearly did it." Kise mumbled out. He was acting the complete opposite from his usual self!

"What are you talking about!? Listen to me will you!? N-O-T-H-I-N-G happened okay? Absolutely nothing! And no we weren't even near doing it! And why are you acting like this anyway? At least look at me." Kise was acting really unusual.

"You don't even realize what's going on! You're closer to someone who just joined us nearly a month ago than your own friend who's been with you for who knows how many years!" Kise said, nearly shouting.

Aomine was completely taken aback. Why was Kise so angry and frustrated? What did he do? Well, anyway was this really the Kise he knows? Could he have... held all of those emotions away? Why?

Aomine and Kise's eyes met, looking straight into each other's eyes. However, while Kise's amber eyes were clear with anger and irritation, Aomine's sapphire ones were confused and wide. He couldn't clearly understand why Kise was acting in such a way in the first place.

"Quiet down Kise, or else the monsters will burst into the house." Akashi calmly said, walking into the kitchen, crossing his arms while leaning onto the wall. An amusing development was occurring in the kitchen.

By then almost everyone was either at the kitchen doorway or close to the kitchen. They were curious as to what was happening.

Kise continued looking at Aomine for a few more seconds before turning away. "Fine. Sorry." He said, walking away from Aomine. The others noticed Kise's actions and found it odd. The blonde never acted this way before, especially not to Aomine.

Aomine watched as Kise left to another room, still too shocked to move or even do anything. Akashi smirked, watching Kise leave, leaving behind a dumbstruck Aomine. It was amusing to watch the seed of their relationship finally open. Akashi wondered if the seed would eventually bloom or just wither away before it gets the chance to.

"What just happened?" Takao asked but he was just as clueless as everyone else (except Akashi and Kuroko of course). Speaking of Kuroko, the newbie wasn't happy at all. He was a bit peeved that Kise merely got a warning for something that he got punishment for. They were all in the same group right? Or did Akashi still see him as someone who's just tagging along? All he wanted to do was let life return back to normal without anyone getting hurt. Was it so hard too understand that? Without another word he went upstairs to his room to sleep. The others could decide on where they're sleeping, but it's obvious he gets to sleep in his own bed.

Now that the commotion settled, the group decided it was time to call it a day. They were all tired from the travel and could use a good rest. Since this was Kuroko's house, who went upstairs (probably to already sleep), they decided that they would be sleeping on the couches. There was also one guest room, which of course Akashi took. Although none of them went inside Kuroko's parents' room. It didn't feel right, plus they are still missing. Not knowing if Kuroko would even allow them to go there so they just took what was left.

Now with the house completely quiet, the loud roars of the monsters could be heard from the outside. Although it all escaped Aomine's ears as he was laying down and staring at the ceiling above him. Kuroko was bothered by the voices of the creatures outside while Kise couldn't find it in him to sleep.

The night was long for those who couldn't sleep comfortably. It was amazing that they even got a few hours or sleep. That didn't mean they felt nice after sleeping though. Then again when did anyone even get good proper sleep during an apocalypse?

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 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Tired tired- ;_; *curls up like a kitty* I'm very tired so short note for this week! Please enjoy the chapter c:

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Good day everyone! :D Waaa! I'm so busy! I can't even tell you how much! :( My exams are coming up so I have to have my head in the books from now on :( But I'm feeling better now :) Thank you so much for your get well wishes :D They made my day :D I hope you liked this chapter and we'll see you next week :) Have a happy/great week :D

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	6. File 06

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

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When the sun was starting to rise, scaring the monsters away, Kuroko was awoken by sounds outside. He didn't know what it was at first. Was a monster outside? Were they under attack? He tiredly looked out his window and was relieved to find that it was just Aomine. He looked like he was practicing some fighting moves...

Out of curiosity (and the fact that he wasn't going to get more sleep anyway), Kuroko left his room quietly and went downstairs and out the front door. He closed the door silently and turned towards Aomine who didn't notice him. He seemed to be off in his own world.

Aomine swung his fists left and right, punching the air as if it was his enemy. Many thoughts went through his mind, mainly the events that happened yesterday. He had to vent out his feelings and sort them out, and what better method to do that than practice? He used to play basketball at times like these, to sort out his emotions but its not like there is a basketball court around anyway.

Aomine swung but then began hitting a house nearby, creating a huge hole in it. After putting his strength into that one last punch, he turned around with a sigh. It was then that he noticed Kuroko watching him with... bed hair?

"Yo~ Nice hair you got there."

Kuroko noticed his bed head and pouted, quickly fixing his hair. "What are you doing out so early practicing?" He asked curiously. "I guess we don't have much time to practice fighting after all.."

"Yeah. I needed to stretch my muscles a bit." He yawned as he walked up to Kuroko. "Why are you up so early? Did I wake you up?"

"More like I couldn't sleep." Kuroko admitted with a sigh. "But then again, when does anyone get a good night's sleep anymore?"

"You're right. You never know when something is gonna eat you." if you fall into a sweet dream, you can kiss your life goodbye. Although its better when you're in a group so members can switch to let the others rest during the night.

Aomine looked down at his gloves, eager to do some more practice, but then he looked up at Kuroko and realized something. He never saw Kuroko fight.

The newbie didn't fight at all ever since they met. When they were attacked, he was injured so he couldn't, then for the rest of the time they were pretty lucky and didn't get attacked at all during their journey to Tokyo. Well, apart from the time they fell into that pitt hole.

It's a perfect opportunity to see what he's got, "Can you throw some punches? How about a little morning warm up with me? Just me and you, one on one."

"Um.." Kuroko wasn't much of a fighter. Sure he could shoot with his crossbow or slash with his sword at a monster, but he's never fought a human before. "Are you sure you want to spar with me? I might get in the way of training.."

"Yeah. I never saw you fight so I wanna see what you've got. Its just to kill the time. It'll be fun." Aomine smiled, he loved testing out his strength against an opponent more than punching objects or the air.

"...Okay. As long as it's not serious fighting." Then if Aomine realized how weak he was, Kuroko could just play it off as him not really trying. "So, is there anything you want me to do before we start?"

"No, let's just do it." Aomine smiled as he took off his gloves. It wouldn't be fair if he fought with them. After all, this is just a fistfight, a light exercise.

They both got on their places, getting ready to fight. They stretched, ready to begin. Kuroko was nervous but Aomine was all itching to go. Then suddenly, the tanned teen decided to attack first. He moved swiftly to Kuroko's left and punched the bluenette so that he fell on the ground... wait... he fell?

Aomine stared in confusion, as the other wasn't standing back up at all. It was then that he began to panic. "Tetsu! You okay?" He kneeled down to see if the other was alright.

Kuroko was in a daze, practically on the border of unconsciousness until Aomine shook him again. He groaned, feeling a headache form from the shaking. "What.. what happened?"

"You fell down! Just from one punch! Can someone even be this weak? How did you survive all this time?" Seriously the other couldn't even knock out a doll! From what Aomine could tell, Kuroko has no stamina and is as weak as a toothpick! Did he seriously survive by pure luck all this time?

"I-I just wasn't ready was all!" Kuroko insisted and looked away. How embarrassing it was to nearly get knocked out five seconds into the fight! "...I never fought another human being before, okay? I don't know how."

"Forget humans! I wanna know how you survived! If you can't take on humans then how do you face the monsters? Did you ever face them?" Aomine seriously doubted that. He was still in the confusion stage as to how Kuroko is still alive.

"I faced a few but.. I usually ran or they ran off to find something else to eat I guess." Kuroko shrugged, turning away from Aomine. "Please don't tell the others about this…"

"I can't do that! We have to tell them! What if during an attack you face a monster and die? Wouldn't it be better if the others know? I mean if they know then we can work something out!" Not telling anyone would put Kuroko into a much bigger risk of getting killed.

"But they already see me as useless." Kuroko stressed. "If you tell them I can't fight, they'll think even lower of me. I can't go off on my own again. Please Aomine-kun."

"But..." He understood where Kuroko was coming from but still... He can't just let the other be killed. He really likes Kuroko and no, not in that way but as a friend. He's fun to be around and they just click. He wants Kuroko to stay in the group be he also wants him to survive, for everyone to survive.

Aomine clenched his fists, wanting to tell Kuroko that he won't tell the others but at the same time he wants them to know. What can he do...?

Aomine thought... There's only one answer. Right! How could he forget!? This would solve the problem of Kuroko's fighting skills and he would even get to stay in the group! Aomine smiled at Kuroko, putting his hands on the other's shoulders.

"I got it! I got the perfect solution! With this, you get to stay in the group plus become stronger!" He said with confidence as Kuroko blinked in confusion, "We'll get Akashi to teach you some moves! The guy doesn't have a weapon just like you but still manages to kick butt. How about it? Ain't I genius?"

Kuroko gave Aomine a certain look like he was crazy. "Him of all people? He hates me the most. Why would he waste his time teaching me moves? He barely wants to feed me or keep me apart of this group."

"Ugh... Y-You're right... but think about it! If he teaches you then you won't be as useless as he sees you... I think... Maybe that way you could protect the rest of us too?" Akashi was their only shot at improving Kuroko's skills.

"I guess you're right.." Kuroko sighed. "I just.. don't know how to ask him. What if he says no? What if he kicks me out the group without giving me a chance?"

"I don't think he would go as far as kicking you out. Besides, if he does kick you then I'll leave as well." He said without a hint of wavering, his decision firm.

"But you can't leave!" Kuroko insisted. "You need the group. Aren't they your friends? I'm just a newbie."

"Yeah they're my childhood friends, I've known them forever but... you know when I see you trying so hard it makes me want to try harder too. You just came out of the blue one day, saying that you wanted to be a part of our group and since then you did everything you could to prove yourself. Seeing you work so hard made me admire you a bit, so I definitely won't let your struggles be for nothing." Kuroko was strange at first but then as Aomine continued to watch him, he saw his will to never give up.

"But.." Kuroko stopped and sighed. He shouldn't fight with Aomine. It's what the other thought after all, he can't change that. "I'll ask him when he wakes up.."

"Sounds like a plan partner." Aomine smiled and extended his hand for a fist bump.

Kuroko slowly fist bumped with Aomine before gent rubbing the spot where Aomine had hit him. "Were you hitting with full strength?"

"I couldn't go all out on the first punch. Plus, I didn't see you fighting before so I didn't know if I should have used my full strength."

"I see.." And he nearly fainted to that? He would have been out cold with one of his punches at full strength! "Anyway, I don't want to wait for the others to get up and overhear. Would it be alright to wake him up now?"

Aomine scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat hesitant. "I'm not sure that's a good idea Tetsu. Akashi wakes up early on most days but when he does sleep in and somebody wakes him up, its not a pretty sight. If you wake him up it would definitely work out against you if you want him to agree to teaching you."

"I suppose you're right." Kuroko sighed. So now if he wanted to ask Akashi, he might have to ask in front of the others! "Should we head inside then? See if anyone's up?"

"Good idea. I could use some food." And with that the two went back into the house. In the living room were Midorima, Takao and Murasakibara who were sleeping on the couches, and still are. They noticed that Kise wasn't there, which made them think that he probably went out. That left Akashi who was upstairs in the guest room. Maybe Kuroko could still get away by asking him upstairs while everybody else was in the living room?

"Man I'm hungry~ Do you wanna eat before going up?"

"Are we allowed to?" Kuroko didn't want to eat something without Akashi's knowing and get called a thief or something. "Why don't we just go up first? Or you can eat and I'll just go up." He suggested.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone? Should I go with you?" Aomine is making sure because everybody knows Akashi's demonic side.

"I'll go alone. I don't want you to somehow get in trouble." Kuroko reassured. "Besides, I may not be on good terms with him, but this is still my house and I can still kick everyone out." He said with a playful smile.

Aomine smirked; Kuroko is really an interesting guy. "I'll be cheering you on." Aomine waved as Kuroko went upstairs and he went into the kitchen.

Kuroko was glad that everyone stayed away from his parents room. At least he knew that everyone was respectful. He quietly went to the guest room and knocked first to see if Akashi was awake yet. When no answer came, he carefully opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was dark, all of the windows closed. Normally it would be strange but not during an apocalypse. All of the rooms have to be closed off and windows have to be covered with curtains and closed with persiennes. Nobody wants the monsters to see a possible meal inside the house and attack.

After a few moments of just taking the sight in, Kuroko walked towards the bed. For someone who was pretty rude to him, Kuroko had to admit that Akashi looked innocent when he slept. Maybe even bordering the word cute... He shook his head and reached out to touch the other's shoulder, trying to wake him up, but Akashi's hand suddenly moved and grabbed Kuroko's, successfully startling him.

Akashi's ruby red cat like eyes shot open and began glowing in the dark, focusing on Kuroko, who was a bit frightened by the eyes alone. "What do you want?" He asked with anger and irritation in his voice as he let go of the other.

"Um.. I was just wanting to wake you up since it's morning.." He felt too afraid to say the real reason but he knew he had to. "B-But I also had another reason too.."

"I can wake up myself." With irritation he threw himself back down on the bed, it was then that Kuroko noticed that Akashi was topless. "What is the other reason?" The way he asked suggested he meant, 'it better be good'.

"Well.." Kuroko sighed and looked the other way. He hoped Akashi wouldn't reject him or get mad. Or worse, kick him out the group. "I.. I wanted to know if you would.. teach me to f-fight.."

Akashi watched the other play with the end of his shirt nervously and it made him smirk. _Finally coming to ask huh?_ The redhead closed his eyes, brushing the bangs off his face. "So you finally came. I knew you would ask one day, although I thought you would kick the bucket before that time came." He opened his eyes again, the playful smirk still on his face. "What do I get in return?"

Finally came to him? Did Akashi want this? "What would you want in return?" Kuroko asked with confusion. It's not like he had much to offer.

"You do everything I ask of you, and when I say 'everything', I mean everything. Clean, cook, carry my bags or even a massage from time to time would be good." Another way to put it would be 'he would become his personal slave'.

"Um.." Kuroko didn't like the sound of that. It sounded like he was going to become a servant or something for this person who hated him... "Is there anything else that would satisfy you? Other than.. that?"

"No. This is the price of your life. Take it or leave it." Akashi's answer was clear and it seemed like he wasn't willing to budge from his proposal.

Kuroko sighed and slowly nodded. He supposed it wasn't too bad considering that all he had to do was do a few things for this guy and he'll have a higher chance of living. "Fine. I'll do it. When will we start?"

Akashi sat up, "We don't have time to train during the day so we'll have to wake up early from now on to train during sunrise. Now we have to survey the area and gather any valuable sources we find. Tokyo is a metropolis so we will surely find a lot of useful things here." He stood up, walking over to a chair where his shirt was hanging.

He put on his shirt before looking at the concerned Kuroko, "We'll stay in Tokyo for a while so we have enough time, you don't have to worry about that."

He wasn't sure if it was just him, but Kuroko was almost positive that this was the first time the two of them had a normal conversation, like they don't dislike each other. "I'm guessing that means no training today?" He asked softly, feeling a little disappointed. He wanted to get better at fighting as soon as possible.

"No. Daytime is the only time we can go outside so we have to plan carefully what we do during the day." Akashi noticed Kuroko's expression change to that of more worry. He smirked as he approached Kuroko who was surprised just how close Akashi stood to him. The redhead put his hand on Kuroko's chest, tracing it on Kuroko's body all the way up to his chin. "Even though there is no training today, I'll tell you the basic of basics you'll have to know."

Kuroko was surprised that Akashi would even get this close to him, much less touch him. He pushed down his nervousness as he looked up at the other. "W-What is it?"

Akashi's smirk widened, moving his face closer to Kuroko's, so close they almost touched. However, it was then that Akashi moved and before he knew it Kuroko was on the ground with Akashi hovering above him with the same mocking smirk. "Never let your guard down."

Akashi tried to suppress his laugh as he walked over to the door and opened it, "Let's join the others." He said before walking out of the room.

Kuroko was both shocked and amazed even as Akashi left. He was shocked because he didn't expect that at all, and his amazement came from the sight of Akashi almost laughing. The other actually almost laughed in front of him? He slowly got up, Akashi's advice (and that smug smirk of his-) still in his head. With nothing else to do, he went downstairs. He couldn't believe Akashi actually agreed to teach him!

Once downstairs Kuroko noticed that everyone was awake. They were walking around the house, organizing themselves before breakfast. Although... when Akashi reached the kitchen he saw Aomine already eating which meant that the tanned teen wouldn't eat anything more today as a punishment.

Aomine pouted as Takao made fun of him. Seeing the two made Kuroko wonder where Kise is. Wasn't he back yet?

It was only a few seconds after Kuroko thought that when the front door suddenly opened and Kise was there. The others hadn't realized he was gone and started wondering if he's been gone all morning. Kuroko and Aomine had realized this, but they didn't say anything since they didn't know why Kise had left.

"How is your leg Kise?" Midorima decided to ask, he wants to check the condition of his patients and know how they are doing. The doctor was the only one who spoke up, the others busy with cleaning after the night. Although Aomine did see Kise come in but didn't say anything.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Kise assured with a smile.. but it wasn't like his usual bright smiles. He didn't say anything more and just walked inside to gather his things. Kuroko was almost certain Kise gave him some kind of look when he walked by. He didn't say anything and went to Aomine.

"He actually said yes." He murmured to Aomine a bit too happily. He was just happy that Akashi didn't reject him.

"What! Really!? You're kidding right?" It was hard to believe at first but then when Kuroko nodded happily to assure him that Akashi really did, Aomine smiled and hugged the other. "I knew you could do it Tetsu! But how did you do it?" Aomine moved away, but the hug didn't escape Kise's eyes.

"I don't know. I just woke him up and told him, and he said he's been waiting for me to ask him." So somehow Akashi knew he couldn't fight. "Then after.." He was about to share the deal but decided it was too embarrassing to say it. "Then he said yes." He said instead.

"Just like that? That's weird." Aomine gave Kuroko weird looks, silently telling him to share the info. Akashi is his childhood friend after all. There's no way Aomine wouldn't know that there's a catch. There always is with Akashi.

"W-Well uh.. We made a deal so.." Kuroko sighed. "I have to do whatever he asks in return for fighting lessons.."

"So you become his slave? That sounds more like him." Aomine sighed as well but at least this way Kuroko would stay alive. "Don't worry Tetsu, I'm sure you'll be okay. If its you then I know you'll be able to do it."

Kuroko smiled a little. He was glad Aomine had such faith in him. "Thanks Aomine-kun. I'm glad I have at least one friend like you in this group."

"What're you talking about? It's not just me. Everyone has their own way of showing it but I guess mine is the most direct one." He smiled as he scratched the back of his head. "Midorima is a tsundere but in his own way he cares about you. If Midorima likes you then Takao automatically does too." Don't ask... that's just how it is... "Akashi agreed too! If he didn't like you at all I don't think he would agree." Aomine could tell because he's been with everyone since forever. They're not that cruel but they show their friendship in a... weird way.

Kuroko thought Midorima only cared because he was a doctor and he was a patient. Did the other really care about him and not just his injuries? And did Akashi really not hate him as much as he thought? "What about Murasakibara-kun? He glares at me a lot."

"E-Ehhh... Ummm... I'm not sure. Murasakibara is weird. After all these years I wasn't able to fully understand him. He always eats and is in his own little world. Although if you even dare to make fun of Akashi or try to harm him, Murasakibara is there right away. He's really protective of Akashi. Now that I think about it, I rarely saw them apart back before the apocalypse." Murasakibara would always stick to Akashi like glue.

"Did you do something to Akashi? Maybe that's why he's glaring at you?"

"I don't know. Isn't it the other way around? Didn't Akashi do things to me?" He sighed and shook his head. "I'll work on my relationship with Akashi-kun which will hopefully let me get closer to Murasakibara-kun too."

"Sounds like a plan." Aomine nodded but just then Akashi called out to them, "Aomine, Kuroko, come to the kitchen." And the two did just that. When they entered the kitchen, they noticed that everyone was already at the table, waiting for them. Kuroko took his seat but he didn't miss Kise's glaring eyes. Then when Aomine sat beside Kuroko, Kise looked away. Strange...

"It's our first day in Tokyo and I plan to use it wisely. We'll separate into two groups and search the area for any valuable resources." This time Akashi decided on two groups because he knows there is a possibility of other survivors attacking them. It's better to be in a bigger group rather than in smaller ones and risk being attacked.

While everyone ate, Akashi continued, "One group will consist of Kise, Murasakibara, Kuroko and Midorima. The other is me, Aomine and Takao. Any complains?"

Of course Kuroko was paired with practically everyone he was unsure about how they felt about him! But he didn't complain and just nodded. At least this way Akashi couldn't ask him to do anything if they are separate.

"Alright. After you're done with breakfast you may go. However, I expect you to be back before sunset, at around 8 p.m." Akashi informed everyone as they finished their breakfast and slowly stood up to begin their journey.

Akashi watched the first group with a smirk. The members of that group weren't picked up randomly but with a purpose. It would be interesting to watch the group interact but Akashi has his own group to take care of. Well, hopefully everything will go according to Akashi's plans. The redhead smiled as his group left first, leaving Kuroko's group behind.

Kuroko wasn't sure what they were looking for, maybe supplies or perhaps a better place to temporarily stay, but he was sure of one thing. The air around them was definitely tense yet awkward. He was walking with three people, which he was unsure about when it comes to their feelings about him. He was sure Murasakibara disliked him, and he's not sure about Kise and Midorima. But no one spoke up and it was getting more awkward by the minute…

The group did walk around and search despite the awkward atmosphere. However, Midorima doubted they would get any work done this way. They need to organise themselves and decide what to search for. "We need to search for food and water. Medical equipment would be appreciated as well, I'm missing bandages." Finally! After a while of not talking, someone spoke! It made Midorima wonder if Akashi put him in this group just so he could be the icebreaker.

"R-Right." Kuroko tried to think of a place that would have medicine at least. He doubted the supermarkets and such still had food or water. "We can probably drop by the pharmacy. It's a bit of a walk but they might have bandages and maybe even some medicine if it's not all missing or stolen."

"It doesn't hurt to check. Lead the way Kuroko." A pharmacy in Tokyo would surely have many supplies there. Doctors are rare so Midorima doubts other survivors would know what each medicine is for. If the medications are missing its most probably because people took them just for the sake of having them, without knowing what they are for.

Kuroko nodded and started heading deeper into the city. It felt nice to be able to help out and do things for the group. However to see Tokyo, his birth place, in such a state was... He sighed and avoided thinking about it. Right now they had to focus on surviving and searching for supplies.

Finally after another round of awkward silence in the group, they arrived to the said pharmacy and went inside. At least this way they knew who the hotheads are in their whole group... ehem.. Aomine... ehem... Takao...

Kuroko's group went into the pharmacy and as soon as they did, Midorima walked over and behind the counter to search the drawers for anything of use. While he did that, the rest looked around as well. Although they aren't as knowledgeable as Midorima, they could tell apart some things.

It was tense, but at least it was quiet. Everyone could agree that they enjoyed the silence so they could think to themselves. However because it was silence, they did hear a familiar sound...

"Is that someone running?" Kuroko asked, listening to the sound of footsteps like everyone else. It didn't sound like a group of people so unless Akashi's group split up, it couldn't have been them... He went to the entrance of the pharmacy but whoever it was, they're gone now. That was weird. "Maybe it was one of those animals.." But it sounded human like and too heavy to be any animal that could be living around there.

"Or it could be someone else." Kise suddenly said with a little bit of force in his voice.

"Someone other than our group?" Kuroko knew it sounded stupid but he had to ask.

"I don't know. You tell us. You know the place and who knows, maybe you know some people still inside?" Kise questioned the other.

While Midorima was too busy with finding medicine to notice the footsteps, Murasakibara heard it as well but when he approached the entrance Kuroko and Kise were already there. The giant sighed as he ate one potato chip. Luckily they found the bag nearby, well Akashi found it while they were on their way to Kuroko's house yesterday and gave it to him. Luckily the chips were still edible, making the giant as happy as ever.

Murasakibara comfortably stood, eating his chips while watching the two in boredom. It's as if he's watching the TV, although the TV show is boring.

"Look, I don't know if anyone's still inside. I haven't been here since I left a few months ago. Can we please just focus on the task at hand?" Kuroko asked but Kise didn't seem to be backing down.

"Then who could it have been outside? Akashicchi would never tell the group to split up."

"Maybe something happened and they had to! Or maybe he just said to split up temporarily. But even if it was someone new, why do you assume I know them?"

"Because you lived in Tokyo before." What kind of reasoning was that? Kuroko sighed and looked for either Murasakibara or Midorima for help. Looks like neither of them were going to help…

Murasakibara noticed the plea, which made Kuroko hopeful, but his hopes were immediately shot down when the other did nothing else but eat another chip. What annoyed Kuroko even more was the fact that the other was enjoying watching them as if they are his entertainment. Meanwhile, Midorima was still somewhere in the back, looking through some drawers, ignorant of what was going on at the entrance.

"Look, Kise-kun, why would I join your group if I supposedly knew people here?" Kuroko asked, quite tired of the argument already.

"Because you want something. Or rather someone." Kise said which got Kuroko's attention. Because he wants someone? He joined the group to survive and to have people watch his back while he watched theirs.

"Who's this "someone" then?" Kuroko asked.

"You know who, and I won't let you have him." Who could Kise be talking about? The only person Kuroko has been close to in the group is...

It would make sense if it was Aomine. The two did act like best friends. Kuroko remembered how upset Kise was at the cabin a month ago when Aomine didn't even want to sit outside with him to talk. Then he remembered last night how Kise got angry when he saw them together like that. It was almost clear now. Kise liked Aomine and he thought Kuroko wanted Aomine as well.

"Kise-kun.. you like Almine-kun, don't y-" Kuroko couldn't finish his sentence before Kise suddenly blushed then yelled.

"Don't change the subject! I don't like him! I don't!"

"What's the matter?" Midorima asked, raising his voice from the back while Murasakibara dropped his chips which scattered all over the floor. Oh no... now the giant was getting irritated as well…

The two stepped back, mainly Kuroko as Murasakibara approached the two. He didn't know what the other was doing but he seemed angry which scared Kuroko. He closed his eyes, waiting for something to happen. He heard the crumple of the bag Murasakibara was holding before he felt something land in his hair. He opened his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. Chip crumbs? He looked up but Murasakibara was already walking out of the pharmacy.

"W-Wait, we shouldn't split up!" Kuroko tried to tell the other but Murasakibara just walked away. Why did he just throw the crumbs on him then leave? What's his deal?

"What happened?" Midorima finally emerged from the storage room but was confused by what he saw. Why was Murasakibara leaving and why did Kuroko have chip crumbs on his head?

Kuroko grumbled and ran his hands through his hair, trying to get all the crumbs out. It was working, but his bed head was coming back. "I don't know anymore. Did you find anything?"

Midorima stared at the two for a moment before speaking up, "I found bandages, aspirin and antibiotics. We were in luck. Looks like most people who came here didn't know where to look." In this regard, their group had an advantage. Now they have to go check other places to see if the can find anything useful. If they find some food or water, they would hit gold.

"That's good." Kuroko said. Kise was quiet as if he was ignoring the two. Kuroko just focused on trying to fix his hair now. "Should we go after him? Or look for more supplies?" Murasakibara was already out of their sights but he couldn't have gotten far.

"Leave him be. Night is approaching so we cannot waste time going after him." That and Midorima was sure Murasakibara could take care of himself. Tokyo is a huge city with potential danger but he doubted anyone would take Murasakibara head on with his size. Even if he behaves like a child sometimes, his body is masking it well enough.

"Alright.. Well, we mind we well go see if anything's left over at any of the markets. Maybe we should look in some houses as we make our way there." Kuroko suggested to Midorima. "Let's not go too far though since you did say it's going to be night soon."

"Good idea. Lead the way." And so the group went to gather more supplies. Time passed by quickly and as soon as they knew it, it was already 7 p.m. Time to head back home. The can say with confidence that they had a successful gathering. They found medical supplies, food, water, even things like new toothbrushes and toilet paper.

Overall, successful. However, the tense atmosphere was still there as they walked back home. It wasn't Midorima but it was between Kuroko and Kise. Luckily they were near Kuroko's house or else Midorima wouldn't be able to take it anymore.

They arrived but when they opened the doors, they heard sounds inside the house. They didn't know if it was the other group or not so they carefully sneaked in and noticed that it was Murasakibara who was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper. He probably found it laying around somewhere.

Kuroko glanced over at the main article, which read, 'Masaomi promises a bright future with his new project'. Kuroko sighed at the title, as usual, they just put down anything eye catching to get the reader's attention.

Just when the group came in, they heard the doors open again to reveal the second group and... a huge bag they were pulling behind them... What was that?

"We're here!" Aomine cheerfully and enthusiastically said, breaking the awkward atmosphere in the house. He and Takao pulled the bag into the house while Akashi closed the doors.

"What is that?" Kuroko asked curiously yet nervously. What could be in the huge bag? Supplies? If they got that many supplies... they'd be set for a while!

"Hehe~" Aomine proudly smiled, enjoying teasing the others before the big reveal. "It's- Ugh!" But then he was hit in the stomach by Takao who didn't want him to steal the big moment. "We robbed the whole storage room of a supermarket! With this, we don't have to go out for about two months! Even with Murasakibara's big appetite!" Takao smirked while Aomine groaned, 'jerk'.

"But that's not all." Akashi had a surprise of his own, reaching out into his pocket while everyone waited in anticipation, even Aomine and Takao who had no idea what Akashi was talking about. "This." Akashi took out a key.

"A.. key." Were they supposed to be happy about that? Unless it was a key to a monster free zone with lots of supplies, it couldn't be that good right? "What does the key go to?" Kuroko asked with confusion.

"It's not a question of 'where does it go to?' but 'what does it do?'." Akashi corrected the other before smirking. "They're car keys. While Aomine and Takao loaded the bag with supplies I took the opportunity to look outside and found a van that is in perfect condition. The keys were inside and it was full of fuel. We could use it to travel from Tokyo to our next destination."

Everyone was surprised by the information. They wouldn't have to walk? They could actually drive? "That's.. that's genius." Kuroko was amazed that Akashi actually found a working car! "We should go out and find gas then, right? Even if it's on full tank, we should look for more just in case right?"

"Of course. I'm sure the other abandoned vehicles have some fuel left in them so we can pump it out and put it in jerry cans for later use." The information made everyone excited and content. Not only do they have enough supplies to last them for months but they also have a car now! Is this happening?

"Heh~ I expected nothing less of you Akashi."

Midorima pushed up his glasses, "It will ease the strain of walking on the patients as well."

"Shin-chan is being so tsundere~ Just say that it's a good idea! No need to be shy about it!" Takao smiled. Of course he too was excited! No more walking!

Kuroko couldn't help but smile as well. Things were really turning around huh? Sure Murasakibara and now Kise were acting kind of off with him, but he could fix that. He was getting on better terms with Akashi and he knew how to help Kise. Things really would turn out for the better!

Speaking of Kise, the other didn't say anything. He didn't look as gloomy as before (who wouldn't be excited over a car during the apocalypse?!), but he wasn't as excited as he would have been if he was normal. Kuroko needed to help him quick. But first...

"If it's alright, can I help sort the supplies?" Normally it's Akashi and Midorima sorting supplies, maybe Murasakibara too, but Kuroko needed to talk with Akashi. He wanted to know more about how their lessons will go now, especially since they got a working vehicle and will be able to cover more ground.

Akashi hesitated but in the end agreed, "Alright." Normally the redhead wouldn't let him but now he did. Was he having a change of heart? Things were going out so well that it scared Kuroko a bit since usually its a bad omen if so many good things happen all at once.

Kuroko was about to follow Akashi into the kitchen but then Aomine called out to him, "Hey Tet- Ewwww! What's that? Why is your hair so greasy?" Aomine wanted to ruffle Kuroko's hair but when he touched it, he felt the grease.

"Oh.. Yeah, something happened with some chips and.. yeah." Kuroko didn't want to give away that Murasakibara did it but... honestly, everyone, even Kuroko, knows that Murasakibara loved chips. "Long story short, I got a hair full of chips. I got most of them out I think."

"Did you fall down? A-Anyway I found something just for you!" Aomine excitedly went over to the huge bag, ruffled through it before taking out the thing he was looking for. He ran back with as much excitement to Kuroko to hand him a... pan catalogue? Kuroko deadpanned, looking up at the other.

"Haha! I knew you would like it! See! This is the list of all different pans they were selling at the store! You got quite a variety here so I think you'll be able to find the one you like! I promised you a book and I got it~ Pretty cool ri-" Suddenly, a hit to the ribs (Kuroko's special move) knocked the other out.

Kuroko didn't even give him a second look before heading into the kitchen. He threw the catalogue down onto the counter and sighed. He liked Aomine like any friend would, but seriously? A pan catalogue? He couldn't tell if Aomine had been joking or serious... "I'm ready to help.."

Akashi and Midorima already began taking out the supplies when Akashi saw Kuroko throw the catalogue on the counter. "I was wondering what Aomine would do with that but I presume it must be for you? Do you like pans Kuroko?"

"I never said I like pans. I said I'm pan, as in pansexual, but he took it the wrong way and now he thinks I like pans." Kuroko sighed. "I can't tell if he's serious or not…"

Akashi tried suppressing his laugh while Midorima deadpanned, "Geez... That idiot..." Knowing Aomine as well as they do, the other did take it seriously. Idiots always stay idiots.

"Anyway, I'll have you sort out the sweets. Separate the flavors and place them in different piles." Just because if Kuroko decides to steal some, Akashi wouldn't mind if he stole the sweets. He has no sweet tooth and isn't fond of chocolate.

"Alright." Kuroko sat down to start sorting the sweets. "So.. Will we train tomorrow? Or will we set like a.. schedule or something?"

"Didn't I already tell you? We'll be waking up early in the morning every day starting tomorrow. Of course when we're travelling this will change, depending on how I see fit." Akashi sighed, "Second lesson, listen to me carefully and pay attention. I won't be repeating myself."

"No, I remember what you said! But I thought maybe things would change with the car and all." Kuroko said quickly. He didn't want to get on his bad side again. "Alright. I understand."

"How would they change with the addition of the car?" Akashi wondered but then Midorima who overheard their conversation while sorting out bread joined in, "Akashi don't tell me you're teaching Kuroko how to fight?"

"Unfortunately yes. Although I didn't expect for him to make it this far." From the beginning, ever since he saw Kuroko for the first time, Akashi always thought he would die right away. However, the other has proved him wrong.

"So you were right? He really is as weak as a toothpick?" Back in Kyoto when they met the other, Akashi told Midorima about his observations. Midorima had doubts at first, mainly because Kuroko managed to travel all the way from Tokyo to Kyoto alone but could he just be lucky? It's really hard to imagine but in Kuroko's case it must be true.

Kuroko deadpanned but didn't say anything. Did anyone believe in him?! Why did everyone call him weak and small? Well, that's more of a reason to get better at fighting he supposed. "I never fought a human before, okay?" He murmured in embarrassment, focusing on sorting.

Having heard what Kuroko said, Akashi sighed, "That's not the problem. Your basic stamina is weak to begin with while others your age have a generally higher stats then you do. You lack in both stamina and strength. Put it simply, you don't fill in the norm for your age group. You are considerably below average."

"You'll help me with those though, right?" Kuroko asked. "I don't know if I could do it but I'll definitely try. I need to at least try if I want to live.."

Survive by any means possible... "We won't focus on the things that cannot be fixed. Instead we will focus on your strengths, which are agility and low presence. Those are the attributes that saved your life, pure luck alone wouldn't be able to save you." Nobody is that lucky in a world like this. "I'll tell you now that my training isn't easy. I won't tolerate whining or slacking off. Understood?"

"Yes. I understand. I'd do anything to survive." Kuroko promised and it was true. He would do almost anything to live.

"I'll take your word for it then." Akashi looked at him before returning to his task of sorting out the food. Midorima wasn't sure about this but Kuroko seemed determined enough. Would he be able to survive through Akashi's tough training? Maybe he'll change his mind after their first lesson? Either way Midorima has no idea how this will work out.

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 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Yes that's right! Whoever asked to be friends can be our friend! Anyone can! Just send a message and we will respond :D but uh, little side note, if you want to send a message, it might be best to send it to our actual accounts instead of our joint account. We only visit our joint account like once a week so...

Please enjoy the story, and don't be too harsh on Sei or Kise! Or Mura XD

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello~ :D So I noticed that a lot of you ganged up on Akashi in the reviews~ XD There's nothing wrong with that thought! It's really interesting to read your opinions about him and everything :D I just want to ask you... Do you think there's a reason he's like that? XD Take it as a clue from me XD Anyway~ Since I asked you guys in the Nerd story, I want to ask again. Who do you think is Akashi and who is Kuroko? Maybe Bell and I switched roles? XD I'm curious to see what you guys think XD

I would like to apologise for any grammar mistakes as well :( I always write the note in such a rush that I never know what to say :( Ah! But I do remember one of you (in the reviews) asking if you could be our friend :) and the answer is OF COURSE! I'm sorry, I read your review but I forgot to reply :( *slaps herself* Sorry and thank you so much for reviewing! I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please if you have any questions about the story don't hesitate to ask in the reviews :) and plz plz review :( even a 'good' will make us happy XD Thank you so much for your support and love! and we'll see you next week :) *hugs everyone* XD chuuu~

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	7. File 07

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

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Just like Akashi promised, he woke Kuroko up as soon as the sun rose to train. He wasn't kidding when he said they'd wake up the moment they were able to... Kuroko yawned and fixed his hair as the two went outside the house to the morning lesson.

Akashi looked over at the sun that was beginning to rise, no monster in sight. Just the perfect time for training. He turned around to look over at Kuroko who was prepared to begin. Akashi approached him and put his hand on his shoulder, however, soon Kuroko found himself on the ground again, restrained by Akashi who was on top of him, holding Kuroko's neck dangerously.

"It seems you still didn't master the first lesson." He said as he let go of Kuroko who sat up and touched his slightly red neck.

"I hope you didn't forget the second lesson." Akashi's voice was cold and ruthless as he faced his student. "Listen well, I won't repeat myself. The third lesson begins."

Hearing that the lesson was just now beginning, Kuroko tried to quickly stand up. He was wide-awake now after that first attack. "W-What will lesson three be?" The first two were technically rules. Would three be a rule or an actual fighting lesson?

"We will begin with the basic principle of fending off against a human. Since you have weak stamina, I've thought of a perfect fighting style for you. We will make use your small frame and lack of presence to land attacks on the opponent. As you may or may not know, the human body has many weak spots, such as the neck where I just hit you. Although if I wanted to make you fall unconscious or kill you, I would have already done so."

Akashi approached the other once again and pressed his finger against Kuroko's neck, "This is one pressure point. One is at the front of the neck and the other is at the back." Akashi moved his finger to place it behind Kuroko's neck.

Then his hand moved again, showing the rest of the pressure points, "On your chest, stomach, arms and back. There are countless pressure points on a human body but I pointed the basic ones and ones that inflict the most damage on your opponent. Did you memorize the points?"

"Uh, yes. I did." Kuroko answered. It shouldn't be too hard to remember. It was basically almost all the limbs on his body, including his chest, stomach, and neck. "What if I can't hit most, if not all the basic points?" It would be uncommon, but not impossible for someone to either be wearing a form of armor or talented in fighting. Could he win against someone who's been fighting a lot longer than he has?

"If you're not able to hit the points then you'll have to find a way to hit them. I doubt a survivor like us would have body armor so you'll have to think depending on the situation at hand. There is no universal rule when it comes to fighting. It all coms down to your instincts. You'll have to find a way during the fight." Real life cannot be found in books. It is quite unpredictable.

"We're training for man to man combat, meaning for defense against other survivors, rogue pirates or even thieves. Those types of people don't play fair and will use dirty tricks to get the upper hand, don't let them get it." Nobody plays fair in a world like this.

"Now that you know the pressure points, we'll develop your misdirection technique. Have you heard of misdirection before?"

"Isn't misdirection supposed to be used for magic tricks?" Kuroko asked with obvious confusion. What would a form of "magic" have to do with fighting?

"Spot on. Misdirection is used by magicians when they perform their magic tricks., however, we'll be using it for another purpose. I've been keeping my eye on you ever since you joined our group and noticed your lack of presence. I knew you would ask me to train you one day so I took it upon myself to think of a fighting style for you." He searched and searched but Akashi didn't have much luck. Then suddenly, one day when he was outside searching for supplies, he happened to stumble upon a very interesting book.

Akashi walked over to the porch to pick up the book, walking back to Kuroko and giving it to him. "I want you to read this and study it. Learn how to use misdirection and apply it to direct your opponent's attention somewhere else. With this, the success rate of landing a hit will be 99%." In other words, Kuroko would barely miss his target.

"You'll be our hidden card, a phantom on the battlefield. You will move swiftly, knocking out opponents and killing them without them even knowing the cause for their deaths." A unique fighting style but if its Kuroko then he might be able to perfect it.

"Like.. an assassin?" There was no way Kuroko could do that! He's never fought in his life! How could reading a book about magic help him become a better fighter? "I'm sorry but I can't possibly do that. To use misdirection while fighting to practically become invisible? I can't do that.."

"I thought you wanted to survive? Am I wrong?" Akashi asked but Kuroko tilted his head downwards, not knowing what to do.

"Normally applying misdirection to fight would be absurd, however, there is a reason I chose it for you. You're special in a sense that your presence is very weak, almost non-existent. I've never seen someone like that, ever. If we use that one unique trait of yours, you may be able to stand up and fight."

Kuroko was still hesitant. Even if he pulls it off and somehow manages to perfect it, would he... be able to kill a person?

"I'll give you three days to read the book and practice misdirection on the others. It should be enough for you to grasp the concept. After that, we'll meet here again and see the merits of your efforts. I'll have you fight against an opponent with the goal of knocking them out."

"But how can I knock them out? Even if I perfect misdirection, I still don't know how to fight." Kuroko stressed to Akashi. "I wouldn't know what to do. I don't know how to hit like Aomine-kun or move quick like you."

"It shouldn't be a problem once you've mastered misdirection. You'll use it to sneak up behind your opponent and hit their pressure points to disable them from moving. I'm not excepting you to know everything three days from now on but I expect you to grasp the concept of misdirection and know the locations of the pressure points. Once you prove that you've mastered those, we can continue onto other lessons." With this, Kuroko should be able to complete the task easily.

"Time is short and we have other important things to do during the day. We can't prolong the training because we don't have that kind of leisure. We'll have to move fast in order for you to have a chance of survival." The training is a special service Akashi is willing to provide but he won't sacrifice his daytime for it.

"I have high expectations for you." And with that Akashi went into the house, the sun already up in the sky meaning they have to move to scavenge.

Kuroko sighed and looked at the book in his hands. At least he had a new book to read. He went into the house after Akashi. All he did that lesson was get thrown on his back and got a book to read. What a nice first fighting lesson.

At first he went to go see if Aomine was awake, but of course the tanned male was still snoring away on the couch. Since he was asleep, Kuroko supposed he could read the book for a few minutes or until everyone woke up for breakfast. The only time he'd be able to read is early in the morning or before bed, which wasn't a lot of time.

Kuroko managed a few minutes of reading before everyone was slowly beginning to wake up. But even though they were waking up, surprisingly Kuroko found the book to be very interesting and didn't look up to see the others move.

Aomine yawned as he stood up from the couch, on his way to the toilet. He noticed the bluenette reading, "Mornin~" He greeted but Kuroko ignored him, too busy reading. "Tetsu! mornin~~" Aomine repeated, this time louder and closer so that the other would hear him.

Kuroko gave Aomine a look before looking back at his book. "Don't think I forgot about the catalogue you gave me last night. I'm still upset by that." He said with fake disappointment. He even pouted as he pretended to read his book.

"You're mad? Why?" Aomine was at a total loss and confusion. Why would Kuroko be mad at him if he gave him something he likes? "Oh! I get it! You don't like the pans that shop sells right? I can find another one if you want?"

"For the last time, I said I don't like pans!" Kuroko frowned and lightly hit Aomine with his book. "I don't like pans, okay? I don't."

"But you said you do! Make up your mind already!" Aomine frowned as he touched the bump on his head. Why did Kuroko hit him?

"Kuroko, go outside and do 10 laps around the house." Akashi who emerged from the stairs said, a towel on his wet head implying he just came from the shower. He didn't really take a normal shower but they had gathered buckets of water and shower with them instead.

"Wait what? Why? I thought the lesson was over." Kuroko looked at the redhead. Why so many laps?

"Is it a complaint I hear? I don't remember saying that the lesson was over, and even if it was, we have a deal remember? Now go and maybe you'll make it back for breakfast." The other didn't say any more and went into the kitchen. Although Kuroko didn't miss the playful smirk on his face as he left.

Kuroko huffed and set the book down. He didn't want to do the laps but he didn't want to go hungry either! He didn't say anything to Aomine and quickly left the house to do those laps. The sooner he got them done, the better!

"Good luck Tetsu!" Aomine waved as Kuroko left. He yawned before resuming his journey to the bathroom. Maybe he should get more catalogues next time just so Kuroko doesn't get mad at him again. More choice, the more likely it is that Kuroko won't hit him again.

Running wasn't as easy as Kuroko thought. Sure when it came to deciding if you live or not, you forget about the pain in your legs and the fact that your lungs are about to burst. But when you're running just to run...

Kuroko huffed, trying to regain air into his lungs. He's only ran four laps and he's already tired! He's never going to be able to do ten.

Meanwhile, while Kuroko was running, everyone else was having breakfast in the kitchen. They comfortably sat in silence while eating. That is until Aomine broke it, "Do you think he'll make the 10 laps?"

"He will if he wants breakfast right?" Takao commented playfully. "If he doesn't, will he really not get breakfast?" He asked while turning to Akashi.

"No, it will only serve as better motivation to complete the task on time." He answered before taking a sip of his drink. Without motivation, any kind of training will be harder to do.

That didn't really answer the question but no one pushed Akashi to continue. They just ate, glad that they weren't the one running outside and missing breakfast.

Meanwhile Kuroko had only made it to the 6th lap before he just had to lay down. It was too much for him. He felt like he was going to die.

Kuroko was so tired and out of focus that he didn't notice prying eyes watching him from around the corner in the shadows. The eyes focused on Kuroko's fragile body laying down on the ground, making the person lick their lips in excitement. However, when the person noticed movement inside the house they left, returning back to the shadows.

Kuroko just laid there until he noticed someone looking over him. He opened his eyes and noticed it was Takao. "Come on, are you finished? They're almost done with breakfast. If you don't hurry you won't get any. How many did you do so far?"

"Six.." Kuroko murmured tiredly. Takao looked at him with surprise. "Only six? And you're acting like you're on your death bed already?" Kuroko huffed but nodded anyway. "Well.. come on. I'll help you do your last four."

And he did, Takao ran the remaining laps with him, cheering him on and helping him as much as he could. Meanwhile, everybody else was on the porch, watching the two struggle. "Come on Tetsu! Just one more and you're done!" Aomine cheered while everybody else sat on a huge swing seat.

Just one more and he'd be done. Kuroko kept thinking that in his mind as both he and Takao ran the final lap. After the last lap, Kuroko went to the porch and sat on the steps. He just needed this rest. He just hoped he was still able to get food. "I can still eat.. right?"

"You didn't finish on time so no. We're about to go out to scavenge. I hope you're not too tired." Akashi smirked while Kuroko panted. He doesn't even get a break before they leave for the day? How is he suppose to survive that?

"Good luck." Akashi and his group went ahead, Kuroko's group taking their leave as well. "Come on Kuro-chin~ We won't wait for you."

"Cruel.." Kuroko groaned and got up, slowly following after his group. If he found food, he didn't care about the consequences. He was going to eat a little whether Akashi liked it or not!

This time Kuroko's group decided to go explore another area. They were beaten by Akashi's group last time but this time, they were sure they could find gold. Call it a competition of sorts as to who can find more. However, the atmosphere of the team was still awkward, and it didn't help that Kuroko was really tired to try to do something about it.

The group just made it into what would have been the busy part of Tokyo, had all of this had not happened, when Murasakibara kept going even though everyone stopped so Kuroko could tell Midorima where they could go for supplies. "Murasakibara-kun, where are you going? You'll get lost if you keep going by yourself."

But the other didn't say anything and kept on walking, confusing all of them. Why was Murasakibara acting so strange? "Leave him be. We'll search this area." Midorima suggested but Kuroko was hesitant.

"He might get lost though." Kuroko said. "Just stay in this area and I'll go after him." He decided. "I'll be right back with him okay?" Since Kise didn't seem to be against Kuroko going, the bluenette said it to Midorima.

"Wait!" Midorima called out to him but Kuroko was already set and running after Murasakibara. Midorima sighed. It's not like he can stop him.

Kuroko went after Murasakibara who was already out of sight. The reason why he left, Kuroko had no idea. Maybe he was tired of the awkward tension too? But that's no reason to run off...

He made it to an intersection and looked every way, but Murasakibara wasn't anywhere in sights. How can a giant move so fast? Must be those long legs. But then again, Kuroko isn't that fast either.

He looked around again and noticed some sounds coming from one of the stores. Maybe Murasakibara was already gathering supplies? He went to the store, looking around. "Murasakibara-kun?" He didn't see the giant anywhere.

Kuroko called out but then suddenly when he saw movement behind a shelf he froze. He couldn't make out what or who the dark figure was but then when the said person walked out for Kuroko to see, it surprised the bluenette even more.

"Oya~ Oya~ I didn't think I would meet anyone in these parts of the city, but then again, I never thought there were any survivors left." The man had raven black hair that grew up to his neck and fox like closed eyes that really stood out. He was also wearing glasses and was holding some sandwiches in his arms.

Kuroko looked at the man then at the food in his arms. He must've been searching for supplies too. He heard his own stomach grumble a little just at the sight of the food. He ignored the hunger pains and looked at the man warily. "Who're you?"

"Oh sorry, where are my manners. Shoichi Imayoshi, nice to meet you fellow scavenger." Imayoshi smiled but then he heard Kuroko's stomach grumble and smiled. "You must be hungry. Here, my treat." He took one sandwich from his small pile and offered it to Kuroko.

"I.. I don't want to take some of your supplies.." He murmured hesitantly, looking at the sandwich. He was hungry but what would Akashi and the group think if they knew he took food from a stranger?

"No worries, I have much more piled up back at my hideout. Giving you one is no problem at all. I insist."

Well at least Kuroko learned that this person is either stocked on supplies or a liar. He cautiously approached the other and slowly took the sandwich before backing away. Could the food be poisoned? Or was it really fine? The grumbling of his stomach made him take a bite. It didn't taste funny. The bread wasn't even that stale!

"I just found it so you don't have to worry if I put anything in." The other said, surprising Kuroko. Were his actions really that obvious or was the other really good at reading people? "We survivors have to help each other out. It's a cruel world we live in."

"That is true." Kuroko agreed as he enjoyed the sandwich. He didn't even have to find his own food! This day was really turning around. "Um, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya. You said your name was... what was it again? What can I call you?"

"Shoichi Imayoshi. Just Imayoshi is fine. It's a pleasure Kuroko-kun." Knowing that Kuroko was still cautious of him, Imayoshi extended his hand for a handshake but it was up to Kuroko if he accepts or not.

Kuroko looked at the hand before slowly extending his own to shake it. "Nice to meet you Imayoshi-san.." He then pulled his hand away and studied the other. He didn't look too bad despite being a few months into an apocalypse. He did have a few scars but other than that, he looked well fed and healthy for the most part. "How long have you been in Tokyo?"

"I was born here and live here. Of course that means that I've been here when everything happened as well. Pretty crazy right?" Imayoshi smiled, finding a place to sit down before taking one sandwich to eat himself. "How about you Kuroko-kun? Are you a fellow Tokyo citizen?"

"I actually am." Giving away that he lived in Tokyo wouldn't be anything big so it would be alright to share. "However I travelled somewhere else because I didn't know what to do.. I thought that if I left, maybe those monsters would disappear too?" Kuroko couldn't remember what he thought exactly but maybe he was thinking that at the time. Or maybe he just wanted to go only because Ogiwara did? It was a long while ago.

"So if you were originally a Tokyo resident, that means you know Tokyo pretty well." And it must mean that he knows which places have been raided or not! "Any places you can think of that probably haven't been raided yet?"

"I'll share the information just because I took a liking to you. Maybe we can work together? It would increase our chances of survival?"

"Well.. I guess we can work together but only for today." He needed to bring something back to the group after all. "I'm only passing through and I'm going to leave once I have everything I need to continue." It wasn't a lie! It was true that he was technically passing through and he did need a certain something before continuing. He just wasn't going to share the fact that he has a whole group with him. That might put the group in danger.

"Leaving already? Ohh man~ and just when I finally found someone to talk to. You see, many survivors team up and form groups to increase chances of survival but I've always been by myself, barely managing to survive." Imayoshi pouted, finishing his sandwich.

"At least I made a friend and it really means a lot to me. Thank you Kuroko-kun. I hope we'll get a chance to meet again." Imayoshi stood up with a smile.

"I'm sure we will. I don't think I can stay away from my home for too long." Kuroko assured with a smile. He kind of liked this person. They didn't seem too suspicious and they even fed him! "Well if both of us search for supplies together, we will have a better chance at finding stuff right? It'll be my thanks for the food and information."

"Really? Thank you Kuroko-kun~ You're a savior! What would I do without you?" Imayoshi's smile widened as he approached Kuroko closer. Now that they were friends and knew more about each other, he guessed it would be fine.

"I knew you were a good person from the moment I saw you. You see, I have an eye for people. If I sensed you were a bad guy, I would have already ran away. Thank goodness~ Now I have at least one friend in these desperate times."

"Yeah, it's always good to have someone to trust." Kuroko agreed as he went to the entrance of the store and looked around. No signs of the groups... "So, where should we go first?"

"There's a place right across the street that still has some supplies. There are many food items and other items that are useful." Imayoshi suggested.

"Then let's head there." Kuroko said, looking back at Imayoshi. "We have to gather as much as we can after all."

The other nodded as they both went to the shop Imayoshi pointed to. Once there, Kuroko was surprised to see that Imayoshi was really right! There were many food items, necessities and more! Its like the place wasn't even touched! They hit jackpot!

Kuroko searched for anything useful but there was just too much! Luckily he found a bag laying around in which he could put his stuff into. He was sure that his group would be both proud and amazed by his find. While Kuroko was packing items for himself, Imayoshi did the same but didn't take as much as Kuroko did.

When they were done, they left the shop and stood at the entrance to part ways. "Would you like to come with me to my hideout? We could share our findings and chat all night long. Surely you must miss company after all this time?"

"Well.." Kuroko couldn't go missing. That might go suspicious to the group. He might be getting along with the others a hit more, but they might try to accuse him with any chance they could get. Like Kise did yesterday... He still had to help Kise with his problem. "Maybe tomorrow if I'm still here. I probably will stay to look for more supplies. Never know when you might run out after all and Tokyo is such a big place, it has to have a lot of stuff in it."

He turned away but he did look back with a smile. "Thanks though. You really helped me today. Now I'm going to go before it gets dark. Be safe."

"Can't be helped then. Bye~ Bye~" Imayoshi innocently waved as Kuroko was disappearing into the distance. Once the bluenette was completely out of sight, the raven head sighed. He opened one of his closed eyes, looking at the place Kuroko went off to before smirking. He closed his eye, sighing, before leaving as well.

The trip home (or rather to his old home) was a bit slow since Kuroko had to carry two heavy bags by himself. But it was definitely worth it! They'd have so much supplies and everyone would see that he did care for the group and could do this on his own! Take that Akashi and anyone else who didn't think he could do anything!

Finally after a long walk, Kuroko reached his home. He couldn't wait to show everyone and brag about his accomplishment. However, when he opened the doors he noticed that nobody was home yet. They must still be out scavenging. Well, Kuroko did come early so there's no helping it.

He placed his huge bag beside him before he comfortably sat on the couch. Now all he had to do was wait.

While he waited, Kuroko decided to read that book again. He needed to get better at fighting as soon as possible and to do that; he had to learn misdirection apparently. He was so caught up in his reading that he almost didn't notice people approaching the house. It was Akashi's group!... And Murasakibara? Oh no. He forgot all about going back to Midorima and Kise. What was he going to tell them?

The group tiredly went into the house but when Akashi opened the doors, they were all surprised to see Kuroko inside, sitting on a sofa with... a huge bag beside him. They all stared in confusion, well mainly Akashi as Aomine and Takao approached the other to ask him what was in the bag.

Normally a leader of any group would be proud that a group member has found so many supplies but not this time. Not only has Kuroko split up from his group but he also didn't return either. "Why are you here? Where are Kise and Midorima?"

Kuroko looked at Akashi nervously. How was he going to explain this one? "W-Well... Murasakibara-kun started to leave the group so I tried following him and I lost him... then I found a few stores that had lots of supplies and I forgot about the group and... look I'm really sorry. I just wanted to get this all back to the group…"

"That's not a valid excuse. You abandoned the group, leaving them in danger for you to go and wonder about? Do you realize how reckless that is?" Akashi's voice gained anger and irritation by each second.

"I-I'm sorry!" Kuroko tried to apologize. "What about Murasakibara-kun? He abandoned our group twice now with no reason."

"Murasakibara is different. I placed him into your group knowing he would wonder about, however I didn't expect you to do the same. Now Kise and Midorima may be in danger." Akashi stressed. It didn't help that Murasakibara was giving Kuroko the 'look' as well.

Kuroko looked outside. It was really getting dark... soon the monsters would come out to play. He looked down before sighing. "Fine. I'll go looking for them. Since I know Tokyo best, I won't get lost. And I'll bring them back." He decided while heading to the door.

Kuroko was about to twist the doorknob when Akashi grabbed his hand. "Not alone you won't. We're going with you." Nobody should be allowed to go alone. They have to stick together.

"Why would you come with me? Won't that be putting everyone in danger? Why not just let me go alone so I have a better chance of getting attacked? You never believed I could last this long anyway." Kuroko argued and opened the door. However two bodies at the door stopped him from being able to leave.

"Well.. It looks like no one has to go out." Takao commented as Midorima and Kise walked inside the house when Kuroko and Akashi moved out the way. Kuroko didn't say anything and just looked away.

"Did something happen?" A confused Midorima asked for both himself and Kise, both of them confused as to why everyone was standing at the door. Nobody replied but stared at Kuroko and Akashi.

"Rest a bit before dinner. Good work everyone." Akashi told the group before heading up the stairs, everybody watching before their stares landed back onto Kuroko.

It was all awkward for a moment until Murasakibara started to walk away, bored already. "Even I wouldn't have abandoned my group." He said before walking away. Those words made Kuroko irritated. He left their group twice now and he didn't get yelled at! But Kuroko leaves once to go get him gets a bunch of supplies, and he gets yelled at?

He growled and went upstairs, ignoring the stares from the others. Even when he does something nice for the group, they find a way to turn it around on him!

He wasn't sure if he wanted to go down for dinner. He would probably get weird looks anyway so Kuroko decided to just stay in his room and read the book. Even though he found it weird and strange that it would be used for fighting, the book in itself was interesting. Especially the part where the user could avert the attention of others. It was actually easier than he thought! Maybe he could start practicing tomorrow on others?

Well, if nobody wanted to, there was always good old Aomine to practice on. Kuroko sighed, placing the book down on the bedside table before lying down to sleep. He was really lucky that he had met Imayoshi and ate then, otherwise he would be starving right now. He really hopes he'll see him tomorrow as well but then again, now that he can't separate from the group it will be harder to do.

Kuroko decided to think about it tomorrow. Now he just wants to rest and sleep, but even that was hard to do with the voices of the monsters outside.

'Hungry'

'Where are you?'

With a shudder, Kuroko somehow managed to fall asleep, despite the frightening voices outside.

The next morning, Kuroko was woken up with a startle. Akashi was standing above him like he had just woken him up himself. Why did he wake him up so early? "Are we still having lessons in between the time limit you gave me to read the book?" He asked tiredly.

"Yes. Get ready and hurry downstairs. We don't have much time." The other said before walking over to the doors and out of the room.

Kuroko sighed and sat up, trying to wake himself up. He heard his stomach rumble and sighed once more. Shouldn't he be used to this hunger? He got up and went downstairs. Then he went outside to meet Akashi for their lesson. Or, whatever they're going to do today. "So what are we doing this time?"

"Since you're still in the process of developing your misdirection, we should focus on improving your stamina." Even if it's only a little bit, anything helps. "Run 10 laps around the house and then do squats. Hurry up, time is precious." Akashi gave the orders and Kuroko followed, beginning his run. Another torturous round around the house, great.

Kuroko did his best and this time he managed to run 5 laps before he felt tired. He looked at Akashi but the other just urged him to keep going. He groaned and kept running (or rather attempting to run) until the 7th lap. "A-Aka.." He took a few deep breaths, stopping to speak to the other. "I-I can't.. do more.."

"You can't stop. There are only 3 laps left. If you could do 7 then you can easily do the rest." Akashi said in his cold, ruthless voice.

Kuroko panted heavily some more while looking at Akashi. Was he really going to be this strict? He sighed and tried running the rest. It was more like a slow jog, almost walking, but he was still trying.

Akashi didn't mind the slower pace as long as Kuroko did what was asked of him. When he finally completed his 10th lap, Kuroko fell down in exhaustion. He couldn't believe he managed 10 laps... Now he can finally res- "Now do at least 10 squats and we're done for the day."

Kuroko groaned and stayed on the ground. He couldn't do anything else with his legs! Wasn't Akashi going to realize that? He could barely run ten laps! "C-Can I at least.. get a break?"

"Only for 2 minutes." Akashi glared holes into the other while Kuroko tiredly lay down on the group. Well, at least he has 2 minutes to rest. Once the time was up, he sat up and began doing squats, each muscle in his body screaming in pain.

How would he be able to do this everyday with hardly any sleep? Then he'd have to search all day right after training? Kuroko knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up long. Once he was done, he immediately flopped onto the ground in exhaustion. "Are we done now..?"

"Yes." That one word made Kuroko relax. It was over for the day!

As Kuroko panted and lay down on the ground, Akashi watched him in thought. Then he kneeled down, "Today we'll be focusing on gathering fuel for the van so it won't be as exhausting. It's an easier task so we will finish much earlier. You can use the extra time at home to read the book. How far did you get?"

"I'm nearly done." Kuroko answered, looking up at the other. "I read some when I came home early."

"Good. Perhaps if you finish the book today, we could train a bit before nightfall." Akashi stood up. "Good work today." The redhead said as he walked over to the doors and went into the house.

Kuroko watched after Akashi. He was actually praised? He felt a bit happy which was enough to get him to stand and go inside the house. "Will we wake the others and eat soon?" He asked Akashi.

"Let them sleep. Meanwhile we can prepare breakfast." And so the redhead left for the kitchen. Kuroko was about to follow when a large hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around, startled, to see that it was Murasakibara. Kuroko's eyes didn't miss the chair behind him that was placed right in front of the window, as if the other was sitting there, watching them from inside the house.

"You shouldn't use his kindness like that." The giant commented. Kuroko was confused. Use his kindness? And who is he? Did he mean Akashi?

"What are you talking about?" Kuroko asked but got no response. Murasakibara just turned away so Kuroko did too. He went into the kitchen to help Akashi.

Akashi was preparing sandwiches since that's about one of the only things they could eat without a stove. Camping outside at night was also a no no since that's the time the monsters come out. During the day they need to scavenge so they really couldn't and can't afford to cook. Hopefully they would find better alternatives in the future.

Kuroko watched Akashi prepare the food as he thought. "If only we could heat stuff up with a fire or a stove that needs gas and fire instead of those electronic ones." He said aloud. "Do you ever think about how things used to be?" He asked Akashi softly. The last time he asked a personal question, it didn't go so well.

"If you think about the past, you will lose sight of the future." Akashi said as he rolled up the bread. "Use what you have and move forward."

That didn't really answer his question but Kuroko didn't push it. "I understand. It's just an unconscious thing..." He sighed. "Want some help?"

"No. Instead of wasting your time here, you should go and read. I can handle things here." Kuroko shrugged, receiving the cold shoulder again. Akashi was strange in the sense that he was kind at times but then his personality would take a turn and he would immediately be angry or mad. What a strange and difficult person.

Kuroko walked off to finish that book he was told to read. He was almost done anyway. He fetched his book and sat in a corner since everyone was still on the couches.

Kuroko began reading but then soon sometime after he began, he could see Murasakibara out of the corner of his eye giving him a look before walking off into the kitchen. Kuroko sighed and resumed but it was then that slowly everyone else began to wake up.

Midorima was the first one to stand up from the couch, "Good morning." He greeted before walking over to the bathroom. Luckily, the loudest member was still in bed, too lazy to wake up. "Just five more minutes~" Aomine snored as Takao tried to wake him up.

Kuroko chuckled a little at Takao's failed attempts. "I don't think that's going to work."

Takao pouted and eventually gave up. "He'll hear from Akashi anyway~"

"Mai-chan~ Don't do that~ hehe... hehe~" Aomine drooled in his sleep while smiling like an idiot. He hugged his pillow and kept squeezing it tightly in his arms.

Kuroko watched before sighing. He couldn't have Aomine get in trouble. He put his book down and got up, walking over to Aomine. He tried shaking him first but of course that didn't work. He tried pinching him but that didn't work either...

"Stop it Mai-chan~ Don't touch there~" Aomine's smile widened, mixing Kuroko's attempts to wake him up and his dreams together.

Kuroko really didn't want to hear about this dream anymore. He looked at Takao who gave him a mischievous look. He got behind the couch and motioned for Kuroko to do the same. Takao looked at Aomine then made a pushing motion. Kuroko understood immediately. On three, both of them pushed with all their might and pushed Aomine off the couch.

"Whoaa!" Suddenly the tanned teen flew down and off the couch, waking him up from his dream. "Whoa!? What happened!? Where's Mai-chan?" He looked around, still coming to his senses as to where he was and what was happening, although he understood when he saw Takao and Kuroko behind the couch.

"Oi! Make it up to me! Bring Mai-chan back this instant!"

"No. We don't want to hear anymore of your dirty dreams." Kuroko pouted.

"Yeah ya pervert~" Takao teased. "You should be thanking us. It's either waking up to us or Akashi."

"I would rather wake up to Mai-chan instead." Aomine frowned, crossing his arms before his chest, "You still gotta make it up to me."

"How?" Kuroko asked. "How should I make it up to you?"

"Give me boobs and maybe I'll forgiv-" Bam! Aomine received a hit on the head, Kuroko and Takao went into the kitchen while Aomine was left laying down on the ground with a huge bump on his head. "M-Mai-chan..."

Meanwhile back in the kitchen Akashi and Murasakibara were done preparing the breakfast when Kuroko and Takao came in. "Call everyone else and tell them its ready." Akashi asked Murasakibara who nodded and left to tell everyone else.

"Thanks for preparing breakfast." Kuroko said to Akashi, wondering he'd even respond.

Akashi nodded in response, looking over at the living room and the commotion there, making him sigh.

"They're.. pretty wild huh? But at least it's lively right?" Kuroko said. He wasn't going to give up on trying to make conversation with Akashi.

"They better save their energy for scavenging." Rather than fooling around... While Kuroko was trying to talk with Akashi, Takao sneaked in to try to take a sandwich but was stopped just when he was about to take it by the said redhead, who gave him the 'look'.

Takao pouted and crossed his arms. He wanted to eat already! Why is everyone taking so long?

"At least they're keeping spirits high?" It was hard talking to Akashi, Kuroko thought with a sigh.

Akashi's eyes moved to Kuroko but soon enough everybody else came into the room, preventing Kuroko from talking to the redhead. It was hard indeed... much harder than he thought. As everyone came in and sat down, Aomine was the last one, as he came into the room with one big proud bump on his head.

The tanned teen frowned, giving Kuroko a guilty look before taking a bite from his food. He kept on staring at the other, silently saying, 'I didn't do anything wrong. Make it up to me'

Kuroko tried ignoring Aomine, focusing on his food instead. The staring was starting to get annoying... He'd have to do something to make it up to the other, but what? Anything to get him to stop staring!

The staring went on until Aomine received a light hit on the head by Midorima. "Just eat your food." The doctor said as Aomine groaned before eating.

Kuroko sighed in relief. Finally he looked away! He took this chance to look around and was surprised to find Kise practically glaring daggers at him. He tried to ignore it and finished up with his food. "Thanks for the food..." He wanted to get away as soon as possible. "I'm going to go finish that book I guess." Until everyone's done eating of course.

"No you won't. We'll be going out soon so the reading will have to wait." Even though he was about to stand up and leave, Kuroko sat back down. "Today we will focus on collecting fuel for our journey. However, while you're doing that, I want everyone to keep an open eye for the device. If you see anything suspicious don't hesitate to pick it up. The first device was a stone but there's no knowing if the second device will be the same. For all we know it could be something completely different." The problem is that they have no idea what it is.

"Tokyo is big though. It'll take forever to find it." Kise commented. It was odd that he'd be such a downer when he was usually looking for a bright side of things.

"You're right, however, I have a theory that will help increase our chances of finding it." Akashi said and everyone raised an eyebrow, confused.

"How?" Aomine spoke up for everyone who thought the same thing. How can they find something they don't even know is... faster?

Akashi smirked, "We found the first device by pure coincidence but even though we found it, we didn't know it was the device. The only confirmation we had was Kuroko's pendant that was reacting to the device." He leaned onto the table.

"Now, if my theory is correct then Kuroko's pendant reacts whenever the device is near. If we use that, we could find the second device easily."

"But my pendant only reacts when the device is close." Kuroko added. "And Tokyo is huge. It'll take forever to explore everywhere and make sure we didn't skip any place."

He suddenly paused. Why did his pendant react to the stone? They didn't know if that stone was really the device 100% but if it was, why did his pendant even react to it? Other metals didn't react. Only his pendant did.

"It's still better than searching without a lead." Akashi spared a look at the pendant that was hanging around Kuroko's neck. The pendant was blue and resembled a stone as well. What a strange little object...

"Tetsu, you said your parents gave it to you right? But how did they get it?" Aomine wondered, looking at the pendant in wonder as well.

"I don't know... My dad just gave it to me not long before everything started." Kuroko answered. "I'm not sure how they got it. And I'm not really sure if it's connected with this device... how do we even know if that stone is even the real device?" He didn't mean to it negative thoughts out front, but what if it was true?

"We don't know." Akashi was straight to the point, no beating around the bush. "However, seeing as the object is unfamiliar to us and its function is unknown, we can conclude that it must be it. It's pure speculation." All they can do is gamble on that.

It was a pretty big risk but it's not like they couldn't take it. Their own lives and others lives depend on this. "Then why is my pendant..." Kuroko trailed off and sighed. He could feel a headache forming but he tried to calm it down. A headache in the morning is not fun.

Akashi put his hand on his chin, "This is a just a theory but perhaps the pendant was made together with the devices. As a... sort of key." This would certainly be one possible answer.

Nobody knew what to think of the idea but it was plausible. Even though... they don't know anything. They're all lost as to if what they're doing is right or not. How can they know? What if the stone they found really isn't a device? Then what?

"I-If Akashi is right then could Tetsu's parents be some kind of mad scientists? No offence Tetsu."

"That's not possible. They had normal jobs, like how my mother was a teacher." Kuroko said immediately. There was no way this pendant was linked to the devices. But if it was then that means that this pendant is linked to his parents, which might be linked to the devices, thus connects both him and his parents to the creation of those creatures... "No! That's not possible, okay? They weren't even scientists. They weren't." He insisted. His parents could not be behind this apocalypse…

Akashi's eyes narrowed, everyone coming up with theories that could explain it. Kuroko's pendant is definitely not normal, plus it reacted to that strange device. They must be connected.

"You say your mother was a teacher but what about your father?" Kuroko didn't mention him at all. "What was his occupation?"

"I never got into their business much but I think he was a factory worker? The factories that make the needles." Kuroko answered. "I don't know how they got this pendant but I'm sure it's not connected. Maybe it was just made of some kind of metal that reacts to that stone…"

"And shine? No metal reacts by glowing." Could it be that Kuroko's parents hid everything from Kuroko? Did they hide the truth from their child to keep him safe? If they took part in the experiments that apparently had caused the apocalypse, then could they potentially be the ones behind all of this?

"Well I refuse to believe that my parents may be the reason behind all of this. I'm not going to accuse someone who's not even here to defend themselves." It was just an excuse because Akashi probably wouldn't accept Kuroko thinking his parents were innocent just because they were his parents. Kuroko just knew they were innocent. They were good people, they wouldn't do this.

The group didn't say anything but Kuroko could clearly see that they were suspicious. Who wouldn't be after seeing a strange pendant suddenly beginning to glow? It also didn't help that Kuroko had just recently joined them. Could it be that he is keeping secrets from them?

"We'll continue this talk later. The sun is up and time is short. We have to go gather the fuel." Akashi stood up from the table while everyone else sluggishly did the same. The new information and theories made them all uncertain about Kuroko's trust and his possible involvement in all of this.

Kuroko found it unbelievable. Why would they be suspicious of him? What did he have to do with all of this? Just because he had a pendant that reacted to the devices, doesn't mean that he caused all of this. If he knew this was going to happen, Ogiwara wouldn't have...

He followed everyone's actions and got up to get ready for a day of searching. "So are we all staying in a group since you said you wanted to use my pendant?"

"Even though I said we would use it, it would be inefficient if we all formed one group. You can use the pendant to search while my group goes to gather suspicious objects and bring them to you to see if we get a reaction." This way they could cover more area. Time is the one thing they don't have.

"Alright. We'll keep an eye out too then." Kuroko said. He immediately began thinking of places that might still have gas. People's garages, gas stations obviously... some cars might still have gas in them too.

"Let's go. Be back at 9 p.m. sharp." And with that, everybody stood up and went for the doors. They have a difficult task ahead of them. How harder can it get when you're searching for something you don't even know is? At least the fuel would be easier to find.

The two groups split up and headed their own way. Kuroko began taking the group towards the closest gas station, ignoring any cars on the way. It would be impossible to carry gas in their packs so they would need to find some extra jerry cans first. However as they walked, Kuroko kept glancing at Kise. Now was the day he'd finally help Kise with his troubles. He walked slowly until he made it to Kise's stride. "Kise-kun.. can we talk?"

The blonde looked down at the other with an unwelcome look before looking away. "What do you want-ssu?" His voice and tone were hostile, looking forward as the group walked to their destination.

Kuroko was reluctant to continue but pressed on anyway. "I want to talk to you about… about Aomine-kun. I want you to know that I don't like him the way you think I do and he doesn't like me either. We are just friends."

"It didn't look that way when I saw you in the room." Kise bitterly said, not looking at Kuroko while talking to him.

"He fell on me when we were cleaning my room. I'm sorry it seemed that way, but I swear nothing happened between us." Kuroko insisted. "He just fell was all."

"Yeah... Right." But the other didn't look convinced, not at all.

"I mean it, really." Kuroko sighed. "Look, I'm sure you like Aomine-kun, right? I can help you get with him if you want."

"L-Like!? I don't like him! Don't get the wrong idea-ssu!" Kise looked away but despite that, Kuroko didn't miss the slight blush on his face. It was obvious even though Kise denies it.

Kuroko gave a reassuring smile. "I can help you, Kise-kun." He repeated. "I want to help you. Won't you trust me again?"

Kise hesitated, thinking though the idea. He glanced at Kuroko and noticed that he was smiling at him, giving him more doubt. Will Kuroko really help him? He's been trying to get Aomine's attention for years but it never worked. Maybe this time he could... "If you-" However, Kise suddenly stopped mid sentence when he saw something horrifying out of the corner of his eye.

The daylight monster they encountered back in Kyoto was here! Just across the street! Quickly Kise put his hand on Kuroko's head, making him kneel down to hide. Then he whistled, letting Midorima and Murasakibara know that danger was ahead. Whistling is a kind of code they created within the group. Should anyone spot danger then they should immediately whistle to let the rest know, should the situation require it.

When they hid, Murasakibara and Midorima didn't have any idea what was going on. However, when they looked up from their hiding spot (behind a car) they noticed the creature that was standing on the other side, sniffing the air and looking around.

Kuroko remained quiet once he saw the creature. Akashi had informed them that those creatures won't attack unless provoked, but you could never know what could provoke an animal, much less a creature like this. He looked around to try to find the others from their hiding place, but he couldn't see anyone. He looked towards Kise. Should they take on the animal or see what it does? Perhaps it won't attack?

Kise and Kuroko made eye contact, both knowing the danger they are in. Both thinking on what they should do. Maybe its best to stay quiet and just let the creature walk away. Kise put his hand on Kuroko's shoulder, silently telling him to wait for the creature to slowly walk away. Hopefully this way they won't get into any trouble.

However their plans didn't go as smoothly as they thought. The creature seemed to have smelled something interesting and started heading their way. It wasn't running yet but it was walking fast towards them. Kuroko glanced at Kise, silently asking what they should do now.

Kise was surprised but in situations like these you gotta think fast, otherwise it could cost you your life. There was only one option for them to get away and Kise knew it. He gave Kuroko one last look before running out into the sight of the creature.

"Hey! I'm right here!" The creature's ears perked up, now that it had Kise within its sights, the dog like creature began running towards him and the chase began. Midorima and Murasakibara who were startled by Kise's action got out of their hiding as well and followed right behind.

Kuroko got up to quickly follow the others. He couldn't lose them again and get in trouble with Akashi and the group. He probably wouldn't get away with it a second time. However as he ran after the others, he realized everyone was getting ahead of him and his vision was slightly blurred. He slowly stopped running, taking deep breaths. Curse his lack of stamina!

Kuroko watched his group run and finally disappear from his sight. Even though he wanted to chase after them so badly to help, he couldn't. All he could do was watch helplessly as his tired body slowly recovered. Kuroko thought about running after then again but there was no way he could find them now that they're separated again. With not much choice, he will have to go back home and wait for them there. Hopefully everyone would come back safe.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell: I just wrote our this note and now I have to do it again. Long story short, OOCness will happen. It's a role play and an AU. Stories change, characters change, everything's practically different. I'm just gonna end it here before my tablet crashes again.**

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Wow! We have lots of long reviews this week, and I want to thank Lady V and Shiro-chan1827 for those long reviews. Thank you for taking the time to write them everyone. We cherish and read them all. Reading the reviews, I see we have the same problem as in the 'Love Behind Glasses' and that is OOC in characters. This is mainly due to the rp and because we didn't know how each of us will write our characters. It's really hard not to have some OOC in a roleplay but we promise that we'll try to fix that in the future. And thank you Lady V for trying to understand the characters, even though most see them as cruel or just as assholes XD Well... this is an apocalypse story so of course the characters would reflect the nature of the world they live in. Lives are lost every day and they see it (know it). It reflects on them but not as badly because we didn't want to have OOC characters... failing in doing so XD Hopefully as the story goes on, you will begin to understand the reason they're all behaving as they are. Although I do admit... I did a HUGE mistake with Aomine in this story and that is in making him such a pervert... I thought he would serve as comic relief but I overdid it.

I don't want to make this long so I'll end it with this. I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter and thank you so much for your reviews. Ah! And yes, I'm Akashi and Bell is Kuroko again XD Thank you and we'll see you next week :)

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	8. File 08

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

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He began to slowly head towards home, trying to move a little faster even though his legs feel like giving out. He didn't want to encounter another one of those creatures.

He jumped from surprise when he heard a sudden noise of something falling to the ground came from his right. He looked over down the street and noticed someone standing there. It wasn't just anyone, it was Imayoshi! "Imayoshi-san?" He questioned with surprise.

"Ohhh~ Kuroko-kun! What a surprise to see you again!" The raven head waved, walking over to Kuroko with a smile. "Although I must say you look really tired. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay.. just ran was all." Kuroko assured with a pant. "So you're scavenging again?" He asked to change the subject.

"Yeah." Imayoshi raised his bag up to show Kuroko, "I found some more food and water. Enough for the day. What about you? Looking for anything specific?"

Kuroko couldn't possibly tell Imayoshi that his group found a car and was looking for gas. "Just supplies again." He said before getting an idea. "And maybe some gas. I found my home here but I know things won't return to normal and I won't be able to return home and be safe. So I'm going to probably burn my possessions." He's heard of people doing that to forget and move on about things, so he hoped Imayoshi believed him.

The other was surprised but smiled never the less, "I understand, some things are better left forgotten." He raised his left hand up to his chin, thinking, "Hmmm~ You know there's a petrol station just two blocks away from here. You should be able to get what you want there."

"Really?" How come Kuroko didn't think of that? He was thankful he had Imayoshi's help. "Thanks. Can we head there now?"

"Of course. Let's go." And so the two began their journey to the patrol station. However, during the walk Imayoshi couldn't help but start a conversation with the other, "My~ We sure have it tough don't we Kuroko-kun? We're just lucky we didn't encounter any bandits yet. Now that would be scary wouldn't it?"

"Yeah. Bandits are pretty scary." Luckily Kuroko managed to avoid fighting with them, but he did see how scary they could be. "Especially with big groups. I just wonder about how they manage to feed all of them then I suppose that they steal and everything…"

"Hmmm~ I think that's the case but I did see something strange. One day I was scavenging and happened to stumble upon a group. I hid because I didn't know who they might be but it turned out they were bandits. I watched them and saw something unexpected~" Imayoshi looked over at Kuroko, "They were feasting on one of their own."

"W-what?" Kuroko stopped at that statement. Feasting on one of their own? He couldn't mean... "You mean... a human was eating another.." He couldn't finish his sentence and covered his mouth. He couldn't imagine another human turning into a cannibal in such times! It's bad enough that the creatures were roaming around, but now humans were a problem too?

"It was a shocker but it's true. This is what humanity has become." They both stopped for a while, Kuroko unable to believe what he just heard. Could humans really eat other humans? Even though the world they live in has changed, how could they? Those kind of people... they aren't human anymore.

"I'm glad I haven't ran into those kind of bandits then.." Kuroko took a deep breath to relax himself. It was still such a shock but he had a job to do. "Let's keep going please."

Imayoshi nodded and they both resumed walking. Although he couldn't help but ask one more question, "Are you sure about doing this Kuroko-kun? Isn't your house also your hideout? Why would you want to burn it down?"

"...I'm only going to burn it once I leave. I won't burn it immediately. Only when I'm ready to leave." Kuroko answered.

"I see~ Then you're leaving Tokyo? I doubt anywhere else would be safer, seeing as the whole of Japan is in the same condition. Ahh~ But I remember that you said that you left Tokyo at one point. Haha sorry to pry Kuroko-kun~ I'm just curious as to how you survived the journey. Maybe you could tell me some tips as well?"

"Um.. I guess avoid anything that seems like trouble?" Kuroko said. "I don't know. I'm just super lucky I guess."

"Luck huh? Well I'm thankful you survived, otherwise I wouldn't have met you. I'm glad we became friends." Imayoshi smiled at the other as the petrol station appeared within their sight.

"Yeah. I am too." Kuroko smiled a little and quickened his pace when he saw the station. He wanted to get as many supplies as he could after all.

While Kuroko was working on collecting the fuel, Imayoshi helped. Since they worked in a team, they were going at a much faster pace than if one person did it. "Man~ Imagine if we had a working vehicle. Wouldn't that make our lives a lot easier~?"

"Only if you had somewhere to go I suppose." Kuroko murmured, focusing on seeing how much supplies he got. "If not then a vehicle can't do much I guess."

"That's where you're wrong Kuroko-kun. The vehicle could become your shelter if its big enough, not only that but it can travel as well. It would be very useful." Imayoshi stressed but it made Kuroko worry somewhat about his group's van. What if others find it as well? Would they steal it?

Now that he was collecting the fuel, Kuroko wondered if Kise and the rest are okay. They should be since they have their weapons with them but still... he couldn't forget the image of the monster biting him, which made him worry further. Hopefully the others are okay.

"I guess you're right." Kuroko just went along with it. He looked around one last time before looking at Imayoshi. "Well, I think we should split here. I'm going to look somewhere else for some supplies and maybe head home early to see what I have."

"Already?" The other pouted, "Well, I guess it can't be helped. I'll see you later then Kuroko-kun. Be safe." Imayoshi walked away, waving while Kuroko did the same. He's really lucky that he met Imayoshi. The other is nice and helps him a lot.

Now that they parted ways, Kuroko started looking for his group. He couldn't get in trouble again when it wasn't his fault that they split up. If he lost and his group and didn't know his way around Tokyo, where would he go? To the hide out of course.

He headed home first and was relieved to find them all there. At first Kuroko didn't see Murasakibara or Midorima but then he saw them inside the house. Kise was outside the house, sitting on the steps. "Are you guys alright?" Kuroko asked as soon as he got to the house. It was early so the other group wouldn't arrive for a bit.

When Kuroko opened the doors, both Midorima and Murasakibara were startled just how quickly he opened them. "We're fine. No need to worry." The doctor assured, he and Murasakibara sitting on the couches.

Kuroko sighed in relief and sat his bags down by the couches. "I was worried. I thought you guys might've been hurt." He admitted. "Sorry I couldn't keep up. I still need to improve my stamina."

"Weak~" Murasakibara uninterestingly said as he stared at Kuroko in boredom, somehow annoying the bluenette. Midorima sighed, "It's better for us to stay here and wait for Akashi's group rather than going out again. The sun will set soon."

"I guess you're right." Kuroko said, trying to ignore what Murasakibara said. "I got some gas though. Did you guys manage to find any?"

They both noticed the two jerrycans beside Kuroko in surprise. He managed to collect and bring 2 of them? "Unfortunately no. Once we killed the creature we didn't know where we were so it took us a while to find our way back home." They're not familiar with Tokyo so they didn't know where to go.

"Aka-chin's group will beat us again~"

"Look, it's not a competition okay? As long as we got some, it's good enough." Kuroko said, trying to make them feel better.

"Kuro-chin is lame~" Murasakibara yawned, tilting his head to the side and leaning into the couch.

"At least I'm not treating the apocalypse and surviving like a game." Kuroko retorted with a huff.

"Lame~" The other said but just as Kuroko was about to reply, the doors opened to reveal Akashi and his group. Akashi opened the doors while the two sidekicks... ehem... Takao... Aomine... carried the jerry cans inside the house.

"Yo! Why are you here so early?" Aomine set down the three jerry cans he was carrying before facing Kuroko and the others.

"We ran into one of those daylight creatures and we ended up splitting up. But we all met up back here." Kuroko explained. "We managed to get two cans of gasoline and some supplies though."

"You saw those monsters again?" Aomine and the rest of the second group were surprised since they didn't see any of the daylight creatures in a while. They didn't see them while on their way to Tokyo as well... why would they be here?

"Did you see just one or more?"

"Luckily just one."

"I see."

"At least we're all safe." Kuroko commented. It would have really sucked if one of them got injured again. Even he and Kise were still recovering from their injuries.

Everyone nodded, no words needed to be said. "Dinner is at 8 p.m. sharp. Those who are late won't have anything to eat." Akashi said as Aomine and Takao carried the jerry cans further into the house. When they did, everyone relaxed. They could finally rest for the day.

It was rare that they'd be able to relax like this instead of going out to find supplies or travelling. They could rest and do whatever they wanted. Kuroko decided to finally finish the book. He only had one chapter left which was easy to finish quickly. He still had some time before 8pm too. Maybe he could go talk to Kise. Or maybe he could check in with Akashi?

However, when Kuroko opened his book to read, he noticed Aomine who sat down right next to him on the sofa. The tanned male yawned before throwing himself on Kuroko, using his lap as his pillow. "Tired~"

"Well don't sleep on me. Get up so I can focus on my book." It was a real reason why Kuroko didn't want Aomine to do that, but also because if Kise spotted them, it wouldn't be good for him.

"Don't be such a drama queen. Oh! Come to think of it Tetsu has really nice thighs! So soft like a pillow." Aomine snuggled closer, his head lying completely on Kuroko's lap. Unfortunately for Kuroko, it didn't take Aomine long to fall asleep due to the 'comfortable thighs'.

'That's not something you can say to someone so easily like that!' Kuroko yelled in his mind. He sighed and closed his book, setting it down beside him. It would be rude to wake him up but he never really gave Aomine permission to sleep on him.

Just as he started to push him off, Kise walked into the living room. He didn't say anything but he did have a look of betrayal on his face. "Kise-kun, wait, please." He called out when the other walked away.

Great. Just when he was trying to fix things, this had to happen again. Kuroko knew Aomine didn't mean harm but it did damage his relationship with Kise further. What could he do now to make Kise believe him?

Kuroko just sat back with an annoyed sigh. There was no use pushing Aomine off now. The damage was already done.

"What you sighing for? He too heavy for you?" Takao asked, leaning on the back of the couch while looking down at Kuroko.

"No. Just tired I guess." Kuroko lied. He couldn't complain to the others.

"I see... well, dinner will be in a few minutes. Have him up by then."

"Hmmm... Mai-chan~ So soft~" Aomine giggled while his hands touched Kuroko's knees.

"You're really a huge pervert." Kuroko grumbled while looking down at Aomine. He started pushing Aomine until the other was off his lap but still on the couch. He wasn't just going to sit there and let Aomine grope him! He left Aomine there and went to the kitchen to see the progress on dinner.

When Kuroko walked into the kitchen he was surprised to see Murasakibara there, sorting out the food. At least he was helping out in some way. Along with the giant there was Akashi who was also sorting out some of their supplies. When Kuroko came, Akashi looked away. "Did you finish reading the book?"

"No but I'm almost done. Aomine-kun stopped me before I got a chance to." Kuroko answered. "I'll finish it tonight if you'd like."

"You better. The match is tomorrow so I hope you've studied and memorized everything thoroughly." Akashi said as Murasakibara started munching on some chips, quietly listening.

"Okay.. but even if I read the whole book, it'll take a while to turn it into a fighting skill, right? I won't be able to read it and then just.. do it." Kuroko asked.

"You'll have to if you want to remain within our group." Kuroko froze. What is this? He never heard about this condition! "If you lose, I'll have you leave the group."

"That's unfair. You only just told me that just now! You never said it before." Kuroko found this just a little unfair. Akashi couldn't expect him to read a book and magically master a new fighting style he's never heard of before!

"The world is cruel and unfair. You didn't know? Tough luck, now you know." Akashi averted his gaze from Kuroko to the supplies. "But its not like I expect you to knock out the opponent. I want you to disable them from moving. You can do that if you've read the book and memorized the points." Akashi said while Murasakibara walked over to the sink that was behind Kuroko to clean some cups.

"That's still unfair though. I haven't had any time to practice, and you know how to fight. I don't! I thought we were all trying to survive, so why are you so against me?" Kuroko asked with a frown.

"First, I didn't say your opponent would be me. Second, you'll have to win if you want to stay with us, and lastly, I will even become a demon if that means accomplishing my goal of training you. I'm not here to be your friend but your teacher. I won't hold your hand and cuddle you if that's what you expect me to do."

"I didn't say you have to do that. No matter who I face, it would be unfair. I know fights aren't always fair but I didn't ask you to train me just to be forced to read a book and fight someone when I didn't even have a chance to practice. I wouldn't do this to you if our roles switched." Kuroko claimed.

"Then why are you wasting your time here? Shouldn't you be out and 'practicing' while the sun is still up?" Kuroko looked over at the window and noticed that the sun was still up. "Someone who didn't even master the first lesson doesn't have the right to complain." Akashi looked up at him but then suddenly Kuroko was surprised when a hand grabbed his shoulder. Before he knew it, Kuroko was laying down on the ground with Murasakibara hovering above him and Akashi smirking in amusement.

"Don't waste your time. Go." Akashi said as he and Murasakibara returned to the task of sorting out the supplies and preparing dinner.

Kuroko stared at the two with disbelief before looking away. Why did he have to join such an unfair group? He slowly got up, his back hurting from the fall but it didn't last long. He left the kitchen without another word and went to the couch. Uncaring about the consequences, he suddenly pushed Aomine off the couch, successfully waking him up. "Before you yell and complain about me waking you up from your perverted dreams, let me explain something to you outside."

Aomine blinked and blinked, still partially in his dream world. "Okay." He replied as he stood up. He didn't miss the serious expression on Kuroko's face, which made him not ask and follow the other outside.

Kuroko waited until Aomine was outside with him. He made sure no one was watching from the windows before speaking. "I'm sorry for waking you up so rudely but I just need to practice with someone. I only have until dark comes to train before tomorrow morning, which will be a lesson that will prove my worth as Akashi says. Can you please help me practice?"

"Prove your worth? Practice?" Aomine was confused, scratching the back of the head. However, Kuroko still had the serious and determined expression on which made Aomine sigh. "Alright, alright. Just practice right? I wanted to stretch my muscles anyway." The tanned teen smiled, getting ready.

"Thank you Aomine-kun." Kuroko sighed in relief. He was glad Aomine was friends with him and would help him like this.

The two began training, sun slowly setting down with each passing minute. The same pattern would always repeat, that pattern being Kuroko trying to land a punch but fails, ending up in Aomine knocking him down. However, no matter how many times he got beat, Kuroko always stood back up. Aomine was surprised how somebody could have such weak body but such a strong spirit, but its not like he's complaining. On the contrary, Aomine found Kuroko more and more interesting, motivating him to try even harder.

Aomine considered going easy on him but that wouldn't do. He couldn't do that if Kuroko was trying this best. It felt wrong, and so the two trained until sunset finally came.

They decided to do the final round before going inside; however, it was that round that shook Aomine. The tanned teen watched Kuroko get into his position, about to attack. He watched and watched but then the unexpected happened. Kuroko suddenly disappeared from his sight! Aomine's eyes widened, panicking that he lost sight of his opponent.

However, it was then that he felt someone touch his neck, a finger about to hit him on the back of the neck. Aomine swiftly moved as fast as he could, reacting by both reflex and instinct. Aomine knocked Kuroko down; using full force than any other attack he did so far.

"S-Sorry Tetsu! You startled me. Are you okay!?" Aomine kneeled down next to Kuroko who was panting on the ground. Maybe he hit him to hard with the last attack but then again... How did Kuroko disappear for a split second?

"I'm okay.." Kuroko reassured with a groan. Now his back was hurting again... Man, why did everyone have to throw him on his back? He carefully sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "I still didn't get you... but I guess I can't change that. We have to get inside after all. It's almost completely dark."

"Yeah..." Is it really okay? Would Kuroko be able to manage tomorrow? Aomine couldn't help but worry but its not like they could do anything more. The sun is almost out of the view and the monsters are about to crawl out of their lair. The answers will come tomorrow.

The two went inside after Kuroko got up. It was now time for dinner, they were told as soon as they came in. They'd need to eat quick so they could get to bed before the monsters noticed they were there.

When they began to eat, everyone was at the table apart from Akashi and Murasakibara. Kuroko couldn't help but wonder where they are so he ended up asking Midorima who said that, "They already ate so they're resting." Maybe they were tired and decided to eat earlier so they can rest? But even so dinner is at 8 p.m. sharp. Akashi shouldn't be an exception right? It annoyed Kuroko further.

When dinner was done, Takao volunteered to do the dishes so everyone else could go and rest for the day. Kuroko decided to lay down on the couch a bit before going to bed but when he got there he saw something surprising.

He didn't expect to see the two resting peacefully on the couch. Kuroko assumed they were asleep by the lack if response so he wasn't afraid of being caught staring. Akashi was laying on Murasakibara who had one arm over Akashi, probably to prevent him from falling off him and onto the floor.

Kuroko knew the two seemed close but had they always been this close? Did this mean anything? He tried not to think about it as he turned away. He had to finish that last chapter before bed... he was so tired, but it had to be done.

The next morning Kuroko could barely wake up but did so when somebody pulled his blanket off of him. "Get up. It's time." Akashi's cold voice was the last thing Kuroko wanted to hear first thing in the morning. He groaned before sitting up, trying to wake himself up.

As he stood up and fixed his hair, Kuroko nervously wondered who he'd have to fight. Akashi? Aomine? He hoped it wasn't Murasakibara. It would be impossible to defeat that giant!

Kuroko tiredly headed downstairs. It wouldn't be easy to tell who he was facing because instead of just Akashi and the person he was going to fight being awake, everyone was awake instead. Were they all just going to watch him? "Why is everyone up..?"

"We're gonna watch. Don't worry Tetsu! I'll be cheering you on!" Aomine smiled, bumping his fist against Kuroko's shoulder lightly while everyone else gathered on the veranda and took their seats to watch the show. However, out of the corner of his eye, Kuroko saw Kise glare at him in anger. Now that he noticed, Kise was standing next to Akashi. Could it be…?

"W-Who am I fighting exactly?" Kuroko nervously asked Akashi, looking back and forth between the redhead and Kise.

"Isn't it obvious by now? You'll be fighting Kise." Akashi revealed as Kuroko locked gazes with the said blonde.

Of all people to fight... At least it wasn't Murasakibara. "A-Alright.. let the best man win then.." Kuroko was already preparing his goodbyes in his mind. He definitely wouldn't win this fight.

"Before you begin I'll state the rules. All you have to do is knock Kise down, make him fall. Do that and you win the match." Akashi said before walking over to Kuroko. "Best of luck." and then passed him and walked over to the veranda to join the others and watch.

"W-Wait, when do we begin figh-" Kuroko was cut off when he felt a shove from behind that was strong enough to make him fall down. He looked up at Kise with surprise. So the fight started once Akashi returned to the veranda? That's unfair, he wasn't ready!

Kise didn't waste time and went straight for another attack. However, before it was about to hit, Kuroko rolled to the side, dodging before standing up.

He tried to recall his training last night with Aomine. Kuroko hesitated before trying to hit Kise, but his swing was a bit too wide and was easily blocked. How was he going to beat someone in his first fight ever?

"Too slow." Kise swung Kuroko's wrist and body, throwing him back down on the ground again. He hovered above him, his eyes showing his anger and frustration. Kuroko knew just from looking... That this was probably the best way for Kise to vent out his frustrations. He wouldn't be surprised if the blonde even requested to be his opponent.

Even if this was just a stress reliever to Kise, it was basically life and death to Kuroko. He couldn't lose or else he'd be kicked out of the group. He couldn't survive out there by himself.

Kuroko tried kicking one of Kise's legs and winced when he realized it was Kise's bad one. However it was already done and Kuroko had just enough time to get away and stand up.

Aomine whistled, "So he went for Kise's injured leg? Not a bad idea." Aomine commented as he and the rest of the group watched.

"I can't say that I'm pleased." Midorima was annoyed that the injury on Kise's leg might open up again and sustain further damage; of course the same applies for Kuroko.

"It's a dirty trick isn't it?" Takao asked but he wasn't displeased with it. Many people used dirty tricks to survive, so Kuroko wasn't any different. He probably would have done the same if he was in a life or death battle too.

Back on the battlefield Kise went for another attack but surprisingly this time Kuroko decided to dodge it head on with his hand. "Hoo~ You know you can't win against me right? You should give up."

"I still have to try. If I give up now, I'll most likely die out there, even if I know this city like I know my own home." Kuroko explained, watching Kise closely as he backed away, making some space between them.

"I see but sorry Kurokocchi, I can't go easy on you!" Kise charged again as Kuroko prepared to defend. However, he was surprised when Kise quickly moved behind him with great speed and knocked him down for the nth time.

Kuroko groaned in pain and tried standing up. He felt something heavy on his back, which he assumed was Kise's foot. "I wouldn't want to win a fight that wasn't a fight from the beginning anyway." He muttered, looking back at Kise.

Kise narrowed his eyes before moving his foot off Kuroko. There was no way Kuroko could win but even so why does Akashi think he can? Maybe the other has a surprise in store?

Once Kuroko stood up, the fight continued. It wasn't much of a fight since Kuroko couldn't really fight back, but he didn't back down. Kise didn't either, getting more frustrated by the minute when Kuroko just wouldn't give up. If Kuroko didn't win this match, he'd have to leave and then Kise wouldn't have to worry about him taking Aomine away.

Although Kise wasn't the only one surprised by Kuroko's strong will not to give up. The others were as well, even if some didn't show it. The smaller male had already been receiving some wounds and even coughed up a little blood (and maybe what he had for dinner last night), but he just wouldn't back down. He really didn't want to die.

"So stubborn. Just give up already!" Kise yelled, fed up with the other always getting up. He swiftly moved and punched Kuroko in the stomach, making him crunch down in pain.

Kuroko held his stomach as if the pain would just go away by doing so. He had nothing else to throw up which was a plus side, but it still hurt. Maybe he should just give up... He's already embarrassed himself in front of the others by getting beat up no problem. But his will to live was much bigger than his pride.

How the heck was he supposed to beat Kise though? It was impossible... Not unless he had some kind of power or something like in the books he read. Wait.. books.. powers.. the misdirection! He still didn't know how to use it but he could at least try.

But while thinking, Kuroko received another punch on his stomach, making him fall down completely. Kise looked down on him in boredom, knowing fully well Kuroko has no chance of winning.

Even with no chances of it working, Kuroko could at least try. As he recalled what the book said, he was trying to get up. His body hurt and felt so sore... Kise really didn't hold back at all.

He looked back up at the other but was surprised when Kise held a look of shock mixed with confusion. It was mostly shock and he was starting to back up. Kuroko didn't know why but he decided to take this chance. It could be now or never again. He reached out and grasped Kise's ankle tightly. Kuroko watched with amazement as Kise tripped and fell back to the ground.

Everyone watched with wide eyes as Kise tripped. What just happened? Nobody knew, even Kise himself! How did he just trip?

Kuroko carefully stood up, groaning from the soreness. He met Akashi's goal and knocked Kise down. That means he wins, right? He looked over at the group with hopeful eyes.

The group was still shocked, watching the battlefield with shocked eyes. Well, apart from Aomine who was trying to suppress his giggles and Akashi who was smiling. When he noticed Kuroko lock eyes with him, Akashi's smile soon turned into a smirk. He closed his eyes and nodded, silently telling the bluenette that he won and that he'll stay in the group. Akashi is a man of his word after all.

Kuroko sighed in relief. If his body wasn't hurting enough already, he would have just fallen back to rest. But instead he went to Kise, offering to help him up. "Are you okay Kise-kun?" He asked softly, offering his hand to the other.

The blonde was woken up from his thoughts by Kuroko's extended hand. He looked up at the other, still in shock. He groaned before looking away, standing up but not accepting Kuroko's hand. He tripped. How could he lose by accident!? No... It wasn't an accident. Kuroko did something... he suddenly disappeared and as soon as Kise knew it, he just tripped.

He was too curious not to ask, "How did you do it? How did you disappear?"

"Disappear?" Kuroko tilted his head. So his technique works? "It actually works?" He asked himself with surprise. "I didn't think it would work... To answer your question Kise-kun, it was just misdirection I guess."

"Misdirection? You mean the thing magicians use?"

"Precisely. That's what it is." Kuroko was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around to see that it was Akashi along with everyone else who was watching.

"Why would he use that? Did you teach him that Akashicchi?" Misdirection is used for magic tricks and entertainment, not for fighting.

"I only presented him with the opportunity. The rest was up to Kuroko on how he developed it." If Akashi taught Kuroko how to fight, the it wouldn't be his own original style. In order for Kuroko's fighting technique to have any merit and meaning, he has to develop it himself.

Not counting Akashi's hand that was on his shoulder, Kuroko soon felt another hand on his other shoulder as well. "Nice Tetsu! You kicked some ass!"

"I believe that I'm the one who got their ass kicked... I didn't do anything except get beat up until the end." Kuroko sighed, wishing he could just lay down. But they had a whole day of scavenging ahead of them... It almost made Kuroko's knees cripple in exhaustion from the thought.

"That's true but you still won!" Aomine smiled and pat Kuroko on the shoulder. Normally Kuroko wouldn't mind but this time his body was throbbing. Every little touch hurt, no matter how gentle it is.

Akashi looked over at Kuroko with a smirk, "You can rest for today. You've done enough Kuroko." Kuroko looked up after hearing Akashi's words. He could rest?

"Thank you.." Kuroko murmured, already taking the first few steps to the house. However he wobbled and would have fell if Aomine hadn't been next to him. "Sorry I can't help.. or even walk by myself." He said to the others. How would they navigate by themselves? Maybe they could find a map of Tokyo somewhere? The police department might have one.

"It can't be helped. We'll have to merge the two groups into one. By now we should have some idea about where things are." They've been here for a couple of days so it wouldn't be such a problem. Not if they search the areas they already went to. They already have more than enough supplies so they're not in a hurry to find more things.

Akashi walked over to Kuroko and Aomine. "I and Kuroko will stay home while everyone else scavenges." Kuroko was surprised yet again and startled soon after when Murasakibara suddenly picked him up bridal style. "Kuro-chin is light~"

"O-Okay.." Kuroko said to Akashi before looking up at Murasakibara. He felt bad even if he was light to the giant. "Y-You don't have to carry me Murasakibara-kun.."

"The injured should shut up~" Murasakibara lazily began his walk back to the house with everyone following behind. "I'll need to check you up before I leave." Midorima had to see the extend of Kuroko's injuries. Kuroko did cough up a bit of blood so he definitely needs to check him.

"Alright.." Kuroko sighed and let the giant carry him. He was glad that no one seemed too angry that he was staying. That was a good sign right?"

Murasakibara walked into the house and then up the stairs. The group remained downstairs apart from Akashi and Midorima who went along with them upstairs. Akashi opened the doors to Kuroko's room and then Murasakibara walked over to the bed to place Kuroko on it.

Midorima quickly walked over to the bed, taking out his tools and beginning to examine the patient. He touched Kuroko's stomach in several places, "Does it hurt here?"

Kuroko winced slightly at a few places. Kise did hit him pretty hard there. "Yeah.. kind of." It didn't hurt as much when Kise punched it for example. "Um.. is there anything to drink?" His mouth tasted like last night's dinner and metal from the blood.

Akashi looked over at Murasakibara who nodded and went out of the room to get a glass of water. Meanwhile, Midorima continued with his examination. He disinfected Kuroko's bruises and bandaged the places that received the most damage; mainly the back just because of how many times he was thrown down.

After examining the patient, Midorima closed his first aid kit back just when Murasakibara came back and handed Kuroko the glass of water. "You should rest for a day. Don't push yourself or do anything harsh nanodayo."

"Okay.. I won't. I promise." Kuroko said before taking a small sip of water. Ah. That made him feel better. "Thank you Midorima-kun. I appreciate the check up." He smiled. "And thanks for the water, Murasakibara-kun."

"Hmmm~"

"Rest up." Midorima ruffled Kuroko's hair before standing up and leaving the room, leaving Kuroko alone with Akashi and Murasakibara. "I'll see them off and then come back." Akashi said as he and the giant now took their leave as well.

Kuroko just nodded in response then sighed once they left. At least he'd be able to heal and rest. He hasn't been able to do that in a while.

Kuroko waited but while he did he was staring to become tired. His eyes slowly began closing before they closed completely and he fell asleep. It was only when he felt a hand on his shoulder that he slowly started waking up. When he opened his eyes again he was greeted by crimson red orbs staring into his.

"I brought you some canned soup." Akashi sat down on the edge of the bed, holding a tray with the plate of cold soup. Apart from sandwiches, canned foods are another option to eat. Since they don't have any power or heat to cook the food with.

"Oh.. thanks." Kuroko tried sitting up, trying not to be so slow. He knew he was injured and Midorima told him not to stress himself, but he hated seeming weak. "By the way, thanks for staying here with me and letting me rest."

"Should you really be thanking me? It's because of me that you're in this condition in the first place."

"But it's also because of you that I'm getting to stay and slowly develop a fighting style." Kuroko said.

Kuroko was still thankful despite the fact that he's the one to blame? Amusing. "Idiots don't last long. We already have many in our group, we don't need a new addition."

Kuroko pouted slightly. "I was just being nice." He said before looking away. "I mean, I know you must be really stressed and worried about everything. I just wanted to.. somehow help you feel better but I'm not good at comforting.. I'm not sure if you'd even want comforting from me."

"Not really but I'll give you credit for trying." Akashi smiled as he took the spoon and raised it to Kuroko's lips. "Here."

"Y-You don't have to feed me." Kuroko said, looking at the spoon then Akashi with slight embarrassment.

"The injured should shut up and obey." The sentence rang a bell to Kuroko who remembered Murasakibara saying something similar. Maybe he learned it from Akashi?

Kuroko just stayed quiet, deciding to keep quiet about it. He just nodded and let Akashi feed him. "Sorry I didn't do too good in the fight... Even though I reached your goal, I don't feel like I won."

"It's alright. I didn't expect you to win but you really did surprise me. You exceeded my expectations."

"...I don't know if I should feel complimented or downgraded..." Kuroko sighed and shook his head. "At least I'm still here."

Akashi raised another spoon up to feed the other, "And since you are, we'll continue your training. We should be able to resume tomorrow since your wounds aren't that severe."

"Okay. I understand." Kuroko said with a nod. "I can't wait then." He would finally be able to continue training and learn to actually fight.

"We'll do physical combat just as you wanted. In order for you to win in a fight you'll have to get used to using misdirection much more. With that you'll be able to confuse your opponent and then land the finishing blow. In other words, the technique you used to make Kise fall down." Akashi raised up another spoon up to Kuroko's lips.

"I don't know how I do it though. I was just thinking about it and.. I don't know." Kuroko sighed. He looked at the spoon before at Akashi's face. "It just happens.."

"And that's why we're going to train." Akashi moved the spoon and Kuroko ate. When he was done, Akashi stood up and went to the door. However, before leaving he stopped at the doorway, "Thank you." and then he left, closing the doors behind.

For what felt like hours, Kuroko did nothing but just lay down to rest or take naps. It was really boring... Then Akashi came in. The other must've been bored too? Or maybe he just had nothing better to do. "Is everything alright?" He asked Akashi when the other sat on the edge of the bed again.

"I thought you'd want to read the book again or reread some chapters." Akashi brought the misdirection book and handed it to Kuroko. Since the other didn't master the technique yet, it would do him good to read some more. He doesn't have anything else to do anyway.

"Oh.. great.." Kuroko did love to read but did he really have to re-read something while he was trying to rest? That's just asking for a headache. "Thanks.."

The redhead nodded and handed Kuroko the book. He watched as Kuroko opened the book and began turning the pages. "Do you like to read?"

"Yeah. I enjoy reading. I used to be in a book club in school for a while. But then we weren't really doing anything and no one else was reading... So it was canceled." Kuroko said, glancing at Akashi. "Do you like reading?"

"I enjoy reading once in a while. It helps calm the mind." Akashi looked away.

"Well... no one stole my books, so you can read some if you'd like." Kuroko said, pointing to the shelf with the books on it.

"Don't mind if I do." Akashi stood up and walked towards the shelf. He searched through the books until he noticed one particular book, "'The Rising Sun' by Takashi Watanabe? How did you get this? There were only a certain number of copies made."

"Oh well... Since I never really spend the allowance money I get, I had a lot saved up and I asked my parents if they could find me one when they were sold. I paid for it but they found it for me." Kuroko explained. "Do you have one too?"

"No. I couldn't get one." Akashi looked at the cover and brushed his hand over it. He's wanted to read this book for ages but could never find it. "Do you mind if I borrow this?"

"I don't mind." Kuroko smiled a little. "It's a really good book. I hope you enjoy it."

"I know I will." Akashi held the book tightly in his hands, as if its treasure. He really couldn't wait to start reading.

Kuroko chuckled a little. Akashi looked like a kid in the candy store who was given permission to get any candy they want. "Do you want to sit by me as you read?"

Akashi gave Kuroko the 'look', "I would prefer to read quietly in my room." But then a thought came to him, "However, if you're lonely then I could stay."

Kuroko almost replied by saying he wasn't lonely but then he supposed this would work in his favor. "Maybe I am lonely. Mind staying in here with me?"

Akashi mischievously smirked before walking over to the bed. He pulled up the sheets, and much to Kuroko's surprise lay down on the bed next to the bluenette. "Don't mind me then."

Kuroko felt his cheeks burn, so he hid them behind his book. "O-Okay... I can't stop you.."

Akashi's smirk widened. Who knew it would be this entertaining to tease the other. Deciding to continue, Akashi opened his book and pretended to read. However, while he and Kuroko began quietly reading their books, Akashi moved his legs so that they tangled with Kuroko's, teasing him further.

Kuroko looked at him with surprise before looking away. He shifted, but he didn't move his legs. He didn't know why he didn't pull away. He didn't know why his whole face was burning now either... 'Why am I getting so embarrassed?' He thought to himself.

Kuroko moved the book up so that it covered his face but it surprised him when Akashi put his finger on top of the book and moved it down so that he could see Kuroko's face. "Ohh~ Why are you red Kuroko? Did something happen?"

"I-I'm not red!" Kuroko insisted, trying to pull the book back up but failed. "It's just hot is all.."

"Do you have a fever?" Akashi moved his hand and placed it on Kuroko's forehead, all the while moving closer to the bluenette, their faces inches apart. "You are warm but I doubt that its the cause. Don't you think so Kuroko?"

"I-I don't know.." Kuroko tried looking away but it's not like he had anywhere else to look. He stared up at Akashi, trying to get his blush to go down. But as he looked at Akashi, he thought he saw something gold in Akashi's eye. It only appeared for a second which confused him further. Was it his book? Kuroko glanced down at his book but didn't see any color of gold on his book. Strange...

Kuroko was so captivated by Akashi's eyes that he didn't notice that he was staring. When he realized, he noticed that Akashi's smirk widened and that he was really enjoying himself. Kuroko knew the other was teasing him but it was strange... Why doesn't he say anything against it?

Akashi closed his eyes as he lay down next to Kuroko, his arm placed across Kuroko's chest. "You know, I don't think I'm getting the respect I deserve. Maybe I should have you call me 'Sensei'."

Kuroko looked at the arm before to the side, watching Akashi. "U-Um... maybe only during lessons?" If Akashi wanted him to, it's not like he could deny it!

"I'm the one who decides that so you'll say it whenever I see fit." Akashi relaxed, feeling the stress weight on him. He opened one of his eyes to look up at Kuroko, "You're still red."

"I'm not red." Kuroko insisted again, turning his face away. "You really won't make me call you sensei, right?"

"You're red and as I said before, you'll call me that when I see fit." Akashi closed his eye and relaxed, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Kuroko looked at Akashi before sighing. He gently took Akashi's book and set both of their books to the side. He then tried to relax. He couldn't concentrate on a book while Akashi was sleeping like this next to him. He mind as well sleep too.

He didn't know when he fell asleep but he was woken up by the sound of his doors opening. His eyes slowly opened, blinking a couple of times to focus. When his eyes focused, Kuroko was surprised to see Murasakibara standing at the doors looking... shocked?

Then he noticed it. Kuroko looked up to see Akashi still sleeping but that wasn't the weird thing. The weird thing was that Akashi had both of his arms around Kuroko who was snuggling closer into the other's chest. Their bodies close as they were hugging each other.

He stared in disbelief at Akashi before looking over at Murasakibara. He didn't want to wake up Akashi so he didn't speak. He just shook his head, his eyes wide with surprise as well. He raised one of his hands, trying to somehow communicate with Murasakibara to tell him it isn't what it looks like.

The giant tightened his hold on the doorknob, looking more than furious. He didn't say anything but his look and aura said it all, he was angry. Kuroko could do nothing else but watch as Murasakibara quickly closed the door with a thud.

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 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Yeah, sorry my Tetsuya is so OOC. When I rp, I focus on having fun, not how my character acts. So sorry if that disappoints people but we can't fix it because the story is already written.

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello :) Thank you everyone so much for your reviews and support :) And a huge thanks to Shiro-chan1827 for your long review :) It's good to hear that most of the characters aren't OOC but if they will be during the future chapters then... GOMEN! *bows* Actually, Bell and I already finished this story XD This story is finished and we began writing a new one BUT you guys still have a long wait until the end XD We would love to adopt some of your ideas but since the story is already finished, we can't :( Thank you so much for reading and we'll see you next week :)

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	9. File 09

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

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Kuroko winced at the thud but it was already too late. Akashi's as already stirring from his sleep. Kuroko sighed and gently shook him awake. "I think you should get up now... I think the others are here."

Akashi slowly opened his eyes, taking his time to wake up. He sat up, not at all fazed by their previous position. He stood up and went to look out of the window to see that the sun was slowly setting down. "I'll send someone to bring you dinner upstairs."

"A-Alright.." Was Akashi not fazed by this unlike Kuroko? "Um.. Murasakibara-kun saw us.. a minute ago.."

"So what?" Kuroko blinked. Why wasn't Akashi bothered at all? The redhead picked up his book and went towards the door, closing it behind him.

Kuroko stared at the door before looking at the spot on the bed Akashi had laid in. Akashi was just full of surprises wasn't he?

Kuroko sighed, since there was nothing else to do, he decided to read the book to pass the time. After about half an hour, the doors suddenly opened, without a knock or anything. Kuroko was startled but he looked up to see why the intruder didn't knock. It was Murasakibara who still had the displeased expression on his face. The giant walked over to the bed and put the tray on the side table.

Kuroko looked at the tray before up at Murasakibara. What should he say? The other probably expected something going on with him and Akashi like Kise thought with him and Aomine. "Murasakibara-kun... We were just sleeping. Nothing else happened." He tried to explain.

Murasakibara gave Kuroko a look that somehow frightened him. Who wouldn't be scared when a huge man hovered above you with a look as if he's about to kill. "You're using Aka-shin's kindness. Just like during the match."

"I-I'm not doing anything... and what do you mean during the match?" Kuroko asked. "I just did what he asked me to do."

"Aka-chin would have let you stay even if you lost!" Murasakibara groaned, giving Kuroko one last look before walking over to the doors, closing them with a loud thud when he left.

He would have let him stay if he lost? But Akashi said... Kuroko sighed, shaking his head in confusion. Why would Akashi tell him he'd have to leave if he lost if it wasn't true? Was Murasakibara even telling the truth himself?

Come to think of it... Kuroko remembers Akashi saying that he has high hopes for him and that he knows he'll be able to win... but then he told him that he didn't expect him to win. He's contradicting himself. Now nothing makes sense! What should Kuroko believe now? Maybe Murasakibara was really just messing with him after all? But somehow... the giant seemed serious. Could it be the truth after all?

Kuroko thought about it but no matter how hard he thought and analyzed, he always ended up going in circles. He just couldn't figure it out. He doesn't know the others as well as they know each other so he can't say anything for sure.

While Kuroko was thinking, he noticed that the doors suddenly opened to reveal Aomine. Does nobody knock in this group?

"Yo Tetsu! Feeling better?"

"I'm feeling better yes." Still sore though, but there wasn't much pain anymore. "What are you doing in here? And does anyone know how to knock? I could have been.. I don't know, changing or something."

"Haha sorry, sorry my bad." Aomine closed the door behind him and walked over to the bed to sit down on the edge. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you didn't even touch your food." The tray was still on the table, untouched.

"I'm fine, really. Just thinking was all." Kuroko reached out for the tray to get something to eat. He was pretty hungry after all. "How was scavenging?"

"Pretty boring. We found the usual stuff and brought it home. We didn't find any weird devices." Aomine sighed in frustration. He was still uncertain about finding the 'device' since they have no idea what it is or what it'll be used for.

"How was your end? What did you and Akashi do?"

As Kuroko recalled what Akashi did, he tried not to let his cheeks burn. Why did Akashi tease him so much today and then fell asleep with him? It still baffled him. "Nothing at all…"

"Nothing?" But then he noticed the slightly red cheeks. "Why are your cheeks red?" Aomine asked but when he did, Kuroko put both of his hands on his cheeks to try to hide them and calm down.

"Oh I know! Did you find a pan you li- Ow!" The poor tanned teen didn't get to finish his sentence due to a hand that suddenly slapped his cheek.

"I said I don't like pans!" Kuroko stresses and sighed, looking at his lap. "Aomine-kun... how much would you say you know Akashi-kun?"

"Eh? Well... Since forever really. Its been so long that I don't even remember." Aomine leaned on his knees, its been so long. Thinking about it now made him really nostalgic.

"If.. If I would have lost, would he have still kept me in the group?" Kuroko asked, his voice almost quiet.

Aomine raised a brow, "What's with you all of a sudden? Why are you asking?" He barely heard Kuroko's question.

"Murasakibara-kun came in and told me that I'm using Akashi-kun's kindness and that he would have let me stay even if I lost." Kuroko explained. "Is that true?"

"W-Well..." Aomine scratched the back of his head. He couldn't deny it. Somewhere deep down everyone knew that Akashi wouldn't throw Kuroko out. Knowing him... he would never do it. Everyone knew that with absolute certainty so no questions were needed to be asked.

"Yeah... but its not like Akashi told us. We just knew."

Kuroko just nodded in response. So he got beat up and nearly thought he'd be dead and gone if he got kicked out, only to find out that he wouldn't actually get exiled? "Well.. At least I'm here and alive."

"Yeah, and that's all that matters." Aomine tried cheering Kuroko up but it didn't work. Guess the other just needs some more time to rest. "You'll be able to go out tomorrow right?"

"Yeah I think so. I don't want to be laying down while an apocalypse is going on anyway." Kuroko said. "I'll help with scavenging tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Aomine stood up, stretching his arms up in the air before walking to the door. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Sleep tight."

"Yeah, good night." Kuroko said. "And thanks. For coming up to check on me and stuff. I really do appreciate it." He added quickly.

"Don't worry about it. We have to stick together." Aomine smiled and then closed the doors behind him, going down the stairs to sleep on the couch. It wasn't as comfy as Kuroko's bed but it will have to do.

Kuroko finished with his dinner so he'd be able to rest as soon as possible. He wasn't sleepy but he was tired. And yes, there's a difference! He closed his eyes as he thought about what he was told. So Akashi would have let him stay anyway... why? Was he just that kind? Did he know he'd regret it? Or... Kuroko glanced at his pendant around his neck. Maybe Akashi would just use him? But he didn't need Kuroko himself. He just needed Kuroko's pendant.

He sighed and dismissed the thought for now. He was tired and now he was getting sleepy. He would be getting extra sleep tonight.

It was morning but Kuroko was still in deep slumber. Confused and stressed by everything that had happened the day before and because of that, he failed to wake up when the doors opened and a person entered his room. The red head intruder was carrying a bucket that was full of water and carried it over to the bed. He set it down on the floor, looked down at Kuroko and then sighed.

The bluenette was sleeping peacefully in his bed but little did he know that his peaceful sleep would soon be interrupted. The redhead wasted no time to pick up the bucket full of water and the poured it onto the peacefully sleeping bluenette, instantly waking him up.

"Rise and shine Kuroko."

At first Kuroko didn't know what happened. All he knew was that he's cold, wet, and definitely awake. He saw the bucket in Akashi's hand and frowned. "What was that for? You could have just woken me up like a normal person." Not to mention that Akashi wasted precious water!

"I had to do it, otherwise I wouldn't be satisfied." Akashi smirked, enjoying the sight of a soaked Kuroko before him. Take it as a kind of revenge for yesterday if you will, also a punishment for lazing around in bed for the whole day.

"What about me? I can't train like this." Kuroko groaned and got up. Now his bed was ruined. He gave Akashi a look before looking down at his clothes.

"Is it a complaint I hear?" Akashi amusingly asked but Kuroko didn't reply, remembering their deal. The deal was that Kuroko wouldn't complain to anything even though this isn't part of training. "Besides, you were complaining yesterday about being too warm. This should be enough to cool down your red face."

Kuroko frowned as his cheeks burned again. He really couldn't argue... "Can I at least have a few extra minutes to try and dry myself?"

"We don't have that leisure. Five minutes is all I'm willing to give you. The clocks is ticking so you better hurry." Akashi smiled as he watched Kuroko quickly change. "I'll be waiting outside." and then he left the room.

Kuroko huffed in annoyance as he changed and then wiped his face and arms with a dry extra shirt he had. Just when Akashi is being nice, he turns around and does something rude. Once he was done changing, he went downstairs quickly. He knew it hadn't been five minutes, but he didn't want to keep Akashi waiting.

"Hoo~ Done and ready with a minute to spare, excellent." Akashi mused as he watched Kuroko get out of the house and approach him. The sun was slowly rising on the horizon as the night was ending. The perfect time to train before the day begins.

"Yeah." Kuroko grumbled and stood in front of Akashi. "So what exactly are we doing today?"

"Physical combat. Didn't I tell you yesterday?" Akashi sighed, "Do you remember the 2nd lesson? Listen to me, I won't repeat myself." It really displeases Akashi when he tells someone something and they immediately forget it.

"I'll teach you the basic moves you could use against your opponent. However, you will still have to incorporate those moves with misdirection so we'll work on that as well. That's today's quota."

Kuroko sighed as he heard Akashi repeat his rule. He was tired of hearing about these rules... "Alright then. Got any tips before we begin then?"

"No. There are no shortcuts to becoming strong but if I had to give you a tip then it would be... don't give up no matter what. From now on, the training will become much more demanding than it was before." Akashi warned as he stretched. "Ready to begin?"

More demanding than before? He felt like he was going to die before! What would happen now? "I guess..." He murmured after stretching his arms a little. Then he watched, staying on guard.

"Then lets begin." And finally the two began their morning training session. They began with Akashi demonstrating the moves to Kuroko before the bluenette tried them out on the redhead. The punches were weak and they would do it in slow motion first before fastening up the pace for Kuroko to get the feel on the movements, both his and his opponents.

After showing Kuroko the basic methods of defense and attack, they tried to incorporate it with misdirection. Kuroko would follow what he has learned in the book, combining it with the attack methods Akashi just taught him. However, due to Akashi being Akashi and having incredibly sharp eyes, he would always see through Kuroko's misdirection attempts.

It had come to the point where Kuroko thought that he was at fault but then Akashi told him that his eyes are special and that it would work on another opponent, just not Akashi. This made the redhead consider another sparring partner for the bluenette when it comes to misdirection.

Then they practiced the pressure points again and Akashi tested Kuroko to see if he had forgotten where they are placed. Surprisingly Kuroko remembered which pleased the redhead. If he would have forgotten, Akashi would without a doubt send him to run 10 laps around the house as punishment.

Finally after practicing the attack patterns, the lesson was already over. Kuroko didn't even realize it when Akashi stopped him and called it a day. He was so drawn into the training that he forgot about the time. "Good work today. Tomorrow we'll continue with attack patterns and then focus on defense."

Kuroko felt nearly proud of himself. He did good. Akashi's praising proved that! Plus he felt like he was improving. Maybe he did have a chance. "Thank you Akashi-kun. I'll try my best for the next lessons." He smiled happily.

"You should. Even though you did good on memorizing and performing the moves, you greatly lack in stamina and that slows you down. Perhaps we should make that the focus of tomorrow's training session." Akashi thought but he'll still have to think it over today.

"I wouldn't mind. I'd still try my best." Kuroko promised. "Should we go wake the others up?"

"No need. They're already awake." Kuroko was about to ask Akashi how he knew but then he received his answer when he heard Aomine's loud voice from within the house.

"Why are you acting like this!?" Aomine yelled so loud that even Kuroko who was outside could hear it.

Worried for the group, Kuroko quickly went to the house. Akashi wasn't as quick but he did follow.

"If you weren't so obsessed with things like meat or "him", then maybe you'd understand why I'm like this!" Kise yelled back just as the two came in the house. Kuroko looked at the situation and frowned. What should he do? He glanced at Akashi to see if he'd step in.

"Huh? What do you mean by that? What does meat have to do with this!? And what do you mean by 'him'!?" Aomine yelled back, taking a step forward closer to Kise. The two faced each other head on, neither of them backing down.

Akashi noticed Kuroko's plea but didn't say anything, making the bluenette even more concerned.

Kuroko gulped in nervousness before approaching the two. "G-Guys... Let's not get out of hand.." He tried to calm them down but with Kise still disliking him, it was hard.

"You really are an idiot!" Kise responded angrily before looking at Kuroko. "And why don't you just go away already? You ruin everything!" Kuroko knew Kise probably didn't mean it but it still hurt.

"Oi! Don't get him involved! This is between you and me!" Aomine yelled, moving to stand in front of Kuroko, as if shielding him. Oblivious to Aomine, his actions have made the situation even worse, but Kise tried not to show it on his face that he envied.

Kuroko was about to speak up again but then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Akashi shaking his head, silently telling him to let the two settle the matter by themselves.

Kuroko was reluctant but backed off anyway. Perhaps it was time for them to do this themselves.

"He's the reason why you're like this though!" Kise continued on with the fight.

"Tetsu didn't do anything! And what do you mean? I'm being my normal self! Unlike a certain someone who hasn't been acting himself lately. You're dragging down the whole group!" Aomine shot back as everyone else watched, uncertain whether they should interfere but somehow felt they should let them sort it out by themselves.

"I'm dragging the whole group down? I don't remember getting injured on my first day, or leaving my group in the middle of Tokyo without coming back for us!" Kuroko deadpanned when he realized Kise was only talking about him.

"I told you to leave Tetsu out of it damn it! This is between you and me! Or do you want to sort this out the good old fashioned way?" Aomine asked and everyone knew what he was hinting at.

Kuroko looked at Akashi again but the other still didn't do anything. Was he really just going to let this happen? He knew they should sort it out themselves, but what if this tears apart the group?

"Another thing you're so obsessed with, fighting! You always want to fight something instead of talking about it." Kise growled, his hands going to his sides.

"What's talking gonna solve? Clearly you need someone to knock some sense into you! Besides, punches tell a thousand words." Aomine always expressed his feelings with his punches. When you fight then your opponent feels your emotions and anger, allowing both of them to take out their anger and frustrations, converting it into fists.

However, at the mention of fighting everyone was uncertain and worried. "I agree with Kise. You have to calm yourself Aomine." Midorima commented, looking over at Takao to help him.

"Yeah.. We don't need to be fighting now. We could be spending our time looking for supplies or something instead." Takao said.

"They're right." Akashi interrupted and placed his hand on Aomine's shoulder, making the other tilt his head. "We can't fight amongst ourselves when we have many enemies and dangers waiting for us outside. It's unwise."

"B-But!" Aomine grumbled, turning around to look over at Kise.

"I told you that you shouldn't fight all the time." Kise said, now crossing his arms.

Aomine clenched his fists but didn't say anything and stormed out of the house. The rest watched him leave but when the doors closed, there was silence. That is until Akashi broke it, "We're leaving in 10 minutes. Everyone should be ready by then." With hesitancy, the group obeyed and started getting ready.

Kuroko wished he could go after Aomine but he couldn't go against Akashi's wishes. He just sighed before getting himself prepared for a day of searching.

When everyone was done and prepared, they separated into the two groups and went into different directions. It was a good thing that Aomine and Kise were in different groups but the same couldn't be said for Kuroko. Kise clearly has a grudge against him for more reasons than one so it wasn't unusual to see the two avoiding each other and not talking, as per usual. More on Kise's side than Kuroko's since the bluenette was determined to make up with him. Although it never worked out whenever he tried.

He supposed that maybe now the best way to get a response is to be direct? Kuroko honestly had nothing else to try. He did everything already. What else could he do? He approached Kise once more who seemed annoyed that he was trying again. "Kise-kun.. look, I don't want things to be like this between us. This started because of a misunderstanding so can you just please listen?"

"Listen to what? Your lame excuses? There's nothing for us to talk about Kurokocchi... No, Kuroko." Kuroko never knew why Kise started calling him 'Kurokocchi' but then one day he learned from Aomine that Kise adds 'cchi' to the ending of people's names he respects. Knowing that, Kuroko felt as if an arrow was shot in his chest. He was losing Kise's trust and friendship, but its not like he had those before... Did he?

"They aren't excuses. I said I wanted to help you and I still do. Why can't you understand that?" Kuroko still tried to reach other to the other. He couldn't give up now.

"Yeah you're really 'helping' me. Instead of doing what you're doing why don't you just leave me alone. Its not your business anyway!" Kise hissed back, not wanting to continue the conversation any longer.

Kuroko narrowed his eyes at Kise and tried to keep in his anger. He didn't do anything so why was he pulled into the mess? "Fine, I will." He said and suddenly started walking away from the group.

"Kuroko! Come back! We can't separate!" Midorima called out to the bluenette who didn't stop. Beside the doctor stood a bored Murasakiabara, watching Kuroko leave but not doing anything. "Bye~ Bye Kuro-chin~" Murasakibara waved, annoying the doctor. "Do something to help nanodayo!"

Kise grumbled, "Just let him go. Who needs him anyway."

Kuroko didn't stop nor call back. If he went back, he'd probably get even angrier. He needed time alone to calm down. He kept going until he was sure he was far enough from them. Now he could scavenge at his own pace.

Kuroko decided that it would be best to look for either food or gas. He was pretty hungry since they skipped breakfast thanks to those two fighting. So if he found food, he was going to have some of it. It's not like anyone would find out anyway.

As he was searching, he noticed someone running down the street. His group? Or Akashi's? He hid quickly and peeked out to see who it was. If it was either of his groups, he'd be in trouble... But luckily it wasn't. It was Imayoshi! Since he hasn't seen him yesterday, he decided to approach him first.

The raven head was walking down the street when he heard someone approaching. He immediately stopped and pointed his weapon towards the direction but when he saw who it was, he lowered it down and smiled. "Yo Kuroko-hun~ How have you been?"

"I've been alright. I mean I'm still alive and all so that's good right?" Kuroko smiled a little. "How about you?"

"Not so bad if I may say so myself. I'm alive just like you." Imayoshi smiled as well. "Looking for anything specific today?"

"No. Just food and stuff." Kuroko said. "Didn't eat breakfast so I want to find a bit to eat before I search for more supplies."

"Hmmm~ Do you want to go to the usual place? Luckily nobody seems to have found it yet so its ours for the take." The shop is a bit hidden so it would be hard to find for other survivors if they don't know about it. That and there probably aren't many survivors around.

"Sure, I don't mind." Kuroko nodded. "So how have you been? Like, in detail." After all they both just agreed that they're fine since they're still alive.

"I don't know what to say. You know the drill~ You're half asleep, thinking if you'll even survive the night. Then you wake up and go in search of resources right away. Unfortunately nothing interesting." The two began their walk to the usual shop.

"I know what you mean." Kuroko sighed. "I wish everything would return to normal. I feel like I wasted my life with school you know? It sucks when you work hard to get good grades only to die by man eating monsters just as the world ends."

"Haha! It can't be helped. Only the weak are eaten while the strong survive." It takes courage and bravery to survive in a world like this, but then again, cowards who group together with someone and have lady luck on their side may survive as well.

"I guess you're right." Kuroko didn't think he was strong at all, but it's not like he could admit that to someone so casually. "I know it's selfish, but in glad I'm still alive. Even if I'm alive in a horrible world like this."

"I can't blame you. I feel the same way." Imayoshi sighed. What was there to life for? Hope? Maybe.

"Hey, maybe the monsters will die of starvation if we keep hiding." Kuroko jokingly said with a smile. "Then we could slowly rebuild civilization again."

"Haha! I really like you Kuroko-kun. Just maybe your hypothesis may come true." Akashi laughed and smiled, but then when he stopped, he opened one of his sleek fox eyes to glance at the bluenette. "I'm still confused why you don't want to form a team with me though. We'll have a better chance of survival that way and we'll get to talk all day long."

"Well.. I don't want to drag you down. Besides, I'll be leaving soon. Maybe there'll be a better place than here. I know everywhere is the same but.." Kuroko didn't look at Imayoshi and just looked ahead.

"Leaving?" The other was surprised. "Where?"

"I'm not sure.. maybe north, towards the mountains. Maybe it'll be too cold for them to stay up there." Kuroko shrugged. "It's a long shot though."

"Forget the creatures, what about you? Won't you freeze to death?" Imayoshi couldn't imagine Kuroko surviving if he doesn't have the proper equipment and clothing, not to mention food and water. Where would he find those up in the mountains?

"I'll be fine." Kuroko smiled up at Imayoshi. "I'm glad you worry for me though. I didn't think I'd meet a survivor like you who cares so much about someone who's so small and weak.."

"It's precisely because you're small and weak. If you were a macho Kuroko-kun, I wouldn't worry that much." Imayoshi giggled, trying to imagine the bluenette with muscles, while Kuroko felt insulted... a bit.

"And here I thought you were nice." Kuroko pouted and looked away, pretending to be upset.

"I am a nice person. Kuroko-kun knows that." Imayoshi kept smiling as the shop came into their view, slowly approaching it. "You survived all the way up until now. I think that's incredible."

"Thanks. It's not easy, that's for sure. I'm glad someone like you survived though." Kuroko said, looking at Imayoshi again.

"Haha don't fatter me too much." Imayoshi and Kuroko went into the shop and noticed that most of the supplies were still there, meaning nobody was here.

"Want to have a bite with me as we decide on what supplies to take?" Kuroko had momentarily forgotten his hunger since he was talking with Imayoshi. However once the food came into sight, he was hungry again.

"Don't mind if I do." Imayoshi and Kuroko walked up to the shelves to find what they could eat. They both picked up sandwiches and then sat down on a table to eat. "I wonder how long sandwiches will last. What will we eat when they run out?"

"Well, we always have things like soup or canned goods. And it might be good to grow our own food." But with the weather going to get cold soon, it might be hard.

"Canned foods will run out as well, eventually. As for farming... takes too long." Imayoshi opened the packaging of his sandwich and began to eat. Out of curiosity he looked at the expiration date and noticed that the sandwich is one month over expiry date.

"That's why you space out the food you have as you farm. Farming does take a while but it'll be worth it if you can grow the food." Kuroko said. "How else will we live? It's not like we have many other options. We can't really raise animals for meat either."

"Still, farming takes time and patience. Are you really willing to wait while you starve for the food to grow? It takes months to grow, surely you know. Not to mention that out in cold mountains, it will be close to impossible to grow something." Imayoshi thought about the matter while looking out a window.

"Well... how do you think I should go about food then?" Kuroko asked. "I haven't seen many animals since this all started so I don't think I could hunt."

"I don't know. That's why I as-" Imayoshi stopped mid-sentence. When Kuroko was about to ask him what happened, the other put his hand on Kuroko's mouth, preventing him from talking. The bluenette was startled and struggled in the other's hold, "Shhh~ Someone's outside." Imayoshi let go of Kuroko and bent down to hide so that nobody could see him from the outside, pulling Kuroko down with him so that they're not spotted.

"Did you see what they looked like?" Kuroko whispered, obviously worried. But he wasn't worried for the reason Imayoshi may think. He wasn't worried about meeting bandits. He was worried about meeting his group and having Imayoshi find out about his group.

The other didn't answer but kept looking out of the window, waiting to see the people outside again. It was then, when Kuroko heard the familiar voice that he froze, "Oi! Akashi! There are tons of things over here!"

Kuroko immediately paled, his skin almost looking like a ghost now. They were heading for the store they were hiding in. They'd be discovered! "We need to go." He whispered to Imayoshi. "We'll get attacked if we stay."

Kuroko grabbed Imayoshi's hand to try to push him away but the other didn't budge. "We can't let them take the precious supplies in here. If they do, then we'll have nothing to eat ourselves."

"I'm sure they won't take it all. Besides, it won't matter if we are dead." Kuroko said. "We really need to go."

Imayoshi hesitated, not willing to budge. This place has been his source of food for months but now that these survivors discovered it, he won't have anything else to eat.

"We can't take them on ourselves. We have to go. Soon." Kuroko murmured. "It'll be alright."

Imayoshi clenched his fists, uncertain of what to do. However, in the end, Kuroko was right. It would be three against two and with one of them giving off a strong vibe (the tanned member), Imayoshi doubted he and Kuroko had a chance of winning.

Kuroko started looking around and found a can of food by them. He grabbed it before giving it to Imayoshi. "You're stronger than me so you can throw it farther and harder. Do you think you can throw it somewhere in the store so they'll be distracted? We can take that chance to run."

However, before Imayoshi and Kuroko could do anything, the three survivors came into the store. Aomine whistled, "This place is packed! We hit jackpot! Another sweet victory for us." Aomine excitedly said as he walked over to the shelves to take the food. Meanwhile, Kuroko and Imayoshi hid in the only place they could, behind the counter.

Now that the group was in the store, they could barely talk now. Kuroko looked worriedly at Imayoshi before trying to listen to where the group was. If they saw them, it would be game over. If they found them when they tried throwing the can, it would be even worse. What could they do?

"Akashi look! With this much we can go home right?" Aomine asked and judging by the sounds Kuroko could hear, he guessed Aomine was already pacing the things into his bag. Then he heard another voice, "I suppose we can."

"Yes!" Aomine excitedly fastened up his pace while Takao and Akashi started looking around to see if there are any more things they could find.

Kuroko looked over at Imayoshi then at the can. It might be now or never. He gave him a look before silently moving to peak around the corner of the counter. He was pretty frightened when he saw Akashi close by but his back was turned. Takao was no where to be seen and Kuroko could still hear where Aomine was. Now could be their chance.

Imayoshi understood, and when nobody was looking their way, he threw the can to the opposite direction of the counter. When the can hit the ground, Imayoshi and Kuroko took off running, jumping through the window that was right above them.

Kuroko didn't look back as he ran. No one was yelling after them so perhaps they took the bait? He didn't hear anyone following them either once they got out the store. They sure were lucky. He kept running along side Imayoshi until they were far away and safe.

After finally finding a good hiding spot, Imayoshi and Kuroko took their time to catch their breath. They didn't want to be seen by the intruders so they ran with all their might. "What now? How will we survive without the supplies?" Imyoshi asked in between his pants.

"I don't know.. I'm sure we can think of another place.." Kuroko panted. His stamina was still very terrible. "Too tired at the moment though.."

They both stood in silence until their breathing evened out and they could talk again. Imayoshi clenched his fists before sighing, "I suppose its time we part ways. Night is coming."

"Alright.. I'm sorry we lost our place. Maybe we can go back one day and see if they left some food." Kuroko offered. "For now, stay safe and have a good night."

"That's a good idea. We definitely should." Imayoshi smiled. "Good night to you too Kuroko-kun." And with that the two parted ways for the day.

Kuroko watched him walk off before walking off as well. He had to hurry and get to the house before Akashi's group at least. Hopefully his group was already there..

He was already tired from the running so when he ran to the house again, he had no energy left and had to push his body further to run. Of course, it wasn't a surprise that when he arrived to the house, he felt exhausted. Although, he didn't think about that at all. His thoughts were on Akashi and his group, so when he opened the doors of the house, he was surprised that the group had already come back.

Akashi and Takao were in the kitchen while Aomine was on the couches, alerted when the doors opened but when he noticed it was Kuroko, he sat back down. "Yo Tetsu. Alone again?"

"Oh.. yeah.. There was an argument in our group.." Kuroko murmured. He couldn't wait to hear a scolding from Akashi again... Note that that was sarcasm. "Did you guys get anything?"

"Actually yeah! We hot jackpot! Unlike you guys. You probably didn't find anything again~ You can't match our greatness~" Aomine teased but soon a pillow was showed into his face by the bluenette.

"I found some supplies you know." Kuroko said and sat down on the couch. He felt a bit bitter since they did find the place that he considered his and Imayoshi's. Sure he often used that place to find supplies to bring back to the group anyway, but he didn't like it that they found it so fast.

"You mean those five sandwiches? That's barely fo-" And yet again, the pillow found it's way to Aomine's face. Kuroko sighed, but then he heard footsteps approaching him and looked up to see Akashi coming over from the kitchen.

"You're early. Where's your group?"

"Our group.." Kuroko sighed. "We separated because of an argument... I thought they'd be home already but it turns out to just be you guys."

"I see." Akashi narrowed his eyes as the atmosphere tensed. "Where did you go then?"

"Just to a random store. I was still trying to find supplies." Kuroko answered quietly.

"Would you care to specify?"

"A store by the gas station because I thought maybe I could look for fuel too, but I couldn't find any." Kuroko said. "Look, shouldn't we worry about where the others are?"

"No. I want to know where you were and why." Akashi pressed. "Don't concern yourselves with the others and answer my question." The atmosphere became much more unbearable. However, suddenly the doors opened, breaking that tension, to reveal Midorima and the others. "We're... back." The doctor managed to say, noticing that they had interrupted something.

Akashi narrowed his eyes further and made his way to the stairs, "Come with me Kuroko."

Kuroko glanced at the others before sighing. He slowly got up, not really wanting to go alone with the redhead who seemed pretty frustrated with him. He followed Akashi to the steps and eventually upstairs. "I already answered your question though." Maybe Akashi was taking him upstairs to scold him?

The redhead ignored him and opened the doors of the guest room; his room. He let Kuroko walk in first before he entered and closed the door behind himself. Adding up to the tense atmosphere, it didn't help that every room was shut and sealed, making it very dark.

Akashi leaned on the door, crossing his arms. "Now, do you have anything to say?"

"No?" Kuroko looked at Akashi (or rather tried to with the dark lighting). "I told you where I was. Look I'm sorry I separated from the group. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No. I want to hear the truth." Akashi walked up to Kuroko to stand before him. However, Kuroko took a step back instinctively when he noticed Akashi's shining cat like crimson eyes looking at him in the dark. To Kuroko, they seemed like the eyes of a demon. "This is your last chance."

It's not like Kuroko could just tell Akashi about Imayoshi! It would get both of them in trouble. But the way Akashi was speaking... did he know? Did he see them at the store? He looked away and backed up once more, hugging himself as if it would act as a shield against Akashi. "I-I was in a store looking for supplies.. but I wasn't.. alone.."

"Who were you with?" Akashi asked with the same cold voice as his eyes pierced holes into Kuroko.

"Just a friend." Kuroko answered. "He doesn't know about you guys though. I never told him anything."

"Is it a friend you knew from before? Or did you meet him when we came to Tokyo?" Akashi knew the answer but wanted a confirmation from the other to be certain.

"When we got here." Kuroko admitted. "I promise that I never said anything about being in a group or anything. I never told him about anything we were looking for or what we had."

Akashi closed his eyes, making Kuroko nervous by how quiet it became in the room. When Akashi opened his eyes again, he spoke up, "You're foolish. Do you really think he'll believe you? Didn't you think he would find it suspicious?"

Kuroko frowned and looked down with shame. He knew he'd get a scolding from Akashi. "I'm sorry." Was all Kuroko could say.

Akashi was quiet, his eyes focused on the other. "When did you plan to tell us? Did you even plan to tell us at all?"

"I thought we'd leave soon after we found the device... I didn't think it would take this long." Kuroko said.

"That's no reason to keep quiet. You do realize that you've put everyone in danger? Now that person may have information on us, even though we know nothing about him. He may even know where our shelter is." Akashi stressed, raising his voice slightly. Taking a step forward, while Kuroko took a step back.

"P-Please, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to put us in danger." Kuroko said, stepping back more as Akashi got closer. "I thought that if I didn't say anything and made sure he wasn't following me, he wouldn't find out about us.."

Kuroko moved back, a step at a time. However, when he reached the end and hit the wall behind him, he had nowhere else to move to. He looked up to see Akashi's crimson eyes staring down on him, "Your apologies won't change anything. Tell me everything you know about him." Akashi put his right hand against the wall, trapping Kuroko between himself and the wall. "You have yet to realize just how naive you are my dear student."

Kuroko looked away, feeling disappointed in himself. Then he had a thought. It technically wasn't his entire fault. "Y-You know.. it's not all my fault... I just wanted a friend and everyone but Aomine-kun looks at me like I'm a waste of space." He said but was unable to look at Akashi.

"You are a waste of space." Akashi's cold words pierced through Kuroko. "If you don't try to change that then everyone will continue seeing you as such. You keep complaining but I haven't seen you try yet. Could it be that you're expecting a miracle to happen?" Akashi paused, looking down on the bluenette who avoided his gaze.

"The world is cruel. It won't have mercy on you. That's why you have to fight for what you want with all of your being. Try harder and you will start seeing a change."

Kuroko tried not to get even more disappointed and stayed quiet. Somehow things always turned around towards him. He was always the one at fault, and that may be true. "I'm sorry.. I don't know much about him.. I know that he's a former resident at Tokyo and he knows where supplies would be or if a place was raided since he's been here longer than me."

Akashi stood, processing through the information; all the while Kuroko was getting more and more uncomfortable by the silence. "I see. You don't know anything about him and yet you leave the group to go wonder off with him." The redhead leaned down closer, even though Kuroko was looking away. "However, it's comforting to know that you didn't defend him. That tells me you aren't such good friends after all. Perhaps there is still hope for you dear student."

"I don't leave just to go wonder off with him.. I just happen to run into him." It was true. Somehow every time he was alone, he'd run into Imayoshi. Now that he thought about it... it was pretty weird that he appeared every time. "And why do you keep calling me "dear" student? I'm barely a student to you."

Akashi smirked at the remark, "Here I'm teaching you how to fight and you won't even admit to being my 'dear student'? What else would you be then?"

"A waste of space like you said?" Kuroko said, not amused by his smirk. "What should I do now? Tell everyone what's been going on?"

"I won't deny it. You are a waste of space but at the same time you are my student." Akashi moved his hand away. "Yes, you'll have to tell the others. That is if you don't want me to tell them instead but I doubt that would improve your relationship with them."

Akashi raised his hand up to his chin, thinking, before looking up at Kuroko again with his cold eyes. "What did you tell him? Did you ask him to help you search for something specific?"

"Only supplies... I asked for help just for supplies." Kuroko said, still thinking if there was anything else. "...Once I asked him for gasoline, but I never told him about any vehicle." He promised. Man, he really did screw up. How would his life have gone if he hadn't joined the group? He might not have lived but at least he wouldn't have dragged the group down to the after life with him.

"You asked for gasoline? Do you realize what you've done?" Akashi raised his voice slightly as he turned around to face Kuroko.

Kuroko flinched and looked down once more. He didn't say anything, knowing it would just be excuses, which would only make Akashi mad.

Akashi was furious and Kuroko could see it all in his eyes when he looked at them before looking down. The redhead didn't say anything, but stood in place. Trying to calm himself and think of what to do next. Akashi didn't say anything when he walked up to the doors and opened them, however, just before he was about to go out he did, "You won't be having dinner. Reflect on what you've done." And with that, he closed the door with a thud.

Kuroko sat down by the wall where he was, pulling his knees to his chest. How did he always manage to mess up? It's not like he's trying to fail. He's trying to get better but he always ends up worse when he tries. It would be so much easier to just leave the house now and let one of those monsters take him away, but he was more afraid of death than facing his cowardice.

After a while, Kuroko stood up and left the room. The thought of Akashi coming back after dinner and seeing him in his room wasn't a pleasant one so Kuroko decided to go back to his room and into his bed. While on his way, he stopped at the top of the stairs to hear the others but barely heard anything.

The group wasn't on good terms at the moment, mainly because of Kise and Aomine... something that Kuroko caused. With his head held low, Kuroko went to his room, closed the doors quietly behind him and laid down on his bed. His stomach rumbled but even so, Kuroko didn't feel like eating. The voices of the monsters outside and the fact that Imayoshi would betray him lingered in his mind. What was he suppose to believe?

To escape his annoying hunger pains, Kuroko fell asleep. He mind as well get some good sleep instead of worrying over everything. He might not have done much but with the stress Akashi has been putting on him, it feels like a lot. It was enough to exhaust any grown man.

However his sleep that brought him peace from that stress was broken. He slowly opened his eyes, wondering why he was suddenly woken up. It wasn't morning since Akashi wasn't the one waking him up. Was it the voices outside?

Kuroko still heard the voices of course but he thought he got used to them... "Why do they sound close though...?" Kuroko asked himself tiredly as he got out of bed. It was impossible for one to be walking around in the house since someone had to be keeping watch. Maybe he was just finally going nuts.

"Fresh air might help.." He said to himself as he went to his window. He'd have to be careful not to make any noise in case any of those monsters are nearby. He stopped in front of his window, grabbed the curtains and opened them without any thought. If he hadn't been tired which delayed his reaction, he would have most likely screamed in surprise. He stood in shock and also fear as he stared at the face of one of those creatures.

It's head was tilted much like a curious dog, but Kuroko was just hoping that didn't mean it wanted to attack. When the creature pressed its weird distorted nose against the glass, Kuroko took a few steps back. Surely it was about to break the window and eat him...

"Not.. here.."

And without another word, the monster turned away and continued down the roof. Kuroko stood in confusion for a few moments before going to the window again. He watched the monster keep pacing around the roof and a weird whine found Kuroko's ears. "Wh.. ere are y..ou..?"

Was it looking for something? Who was it looking for? Kuroko closed the curtains, afraid that the monster would suddenly get hungry and attack. He returned to his bed but wasn't tired at all.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** yay, the bold option isn't glitching anymore :3 Um, anyway. Sorry that Tetsuya is being treated like this even if he may deserve it. And uh, since the topic of Sei always bullying Tetsuya comes up, I'd like to say that it won't be the same with Kise either! Yes, both Sei and Kise won't bully Tetsuya in the next story, we promise :3 Have a nice week :D I hope I didn't miss anything...

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** *Is in a rush* I have things I want to say but I'm in a rush right now :( I will try to be quick... Thank you all for your reviews and we're sorry that Kuroko is always picked on. Poor bby... GOMEN *bows* Also, thank you so much for your ideas BUT since the story is already done, we can't really change anything. I promise that in the future chapters Akashi & Kuroko's relationship will not be just Akashi attacking Kuroko, in fact it will change after this Tokyo arc. So sorry! Maybe you can think of the beginning as yandere if you want, I don't know what to say XD GOMEN! *bows* Thank you for your reviews and if I missed something, I'll definitely address it in my next note. HAVE A GREAT DAY! SEE YOU NEXT WEEK AND HAPPY BELATED APRIL FOOLS SAY! (no jokes here XD) Bye *waves* (AH! And don't worry, there will be no MuraAka in this story XD It was just a tease XD GOMEN *bows*)

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	10. File 10

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

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Kuroko couldn't sleep that night at all. He tried to but he couldn't. He just had a lot on his mind and his encounter with the monster didn't help at all. Not only was he feeling guilty on the inside but he was also scared. Hopefully morning will come soon.

Although morning came, Kuroko could swear that it was the longest night of his life. The sun wouldn't come out and minutes turned into hours. It was only when Kuroko opened his sleep-deprived eyes and saw Akashi enter his room that he knew morning came. He never thought he would be happy seeing Akashi after... yesterday night.

Akashi walked up to the bed but raised a brow when he noticed that Kuroko was awake. "Didn't sleep?"

Kuroko didn't respond and slowly sat up, ignoring the rumbling from his stomach. He had no idea if he should tell Akashi about the monster but then he figured he had nothing to lose. "There was.. one of them outside. My window, I mean. It was right there and was staring at me, but it didn't attack. Then it walked off.."

"One of those creatures?" They would jump up on the roof? Well, its not that surprising if you think about it. One would do anything to eat. Although, it is puzzling that the creature didn't attack him...

"I'll be waiting outside." Akashi told the other before leaving the room.

Well, Akashi didn't really give it much thought... Kuroko sighed as he took the chance to wake up completely. Maybe he just didn't believe him... It made no difference. He didn't expect him to any way. Once he was awake enough, he went downstairs.

Once Kuroko got out of the house he noticed Akashi looking up at the roof. The redhead was observing their surroundings but when he noticed Kuroko he stopped and faced him. "Today we'll have to cut our training short. We have thirty minutes."

"Why?" Kuroko asked with confusion. "Is it because of what I told you about the monster?" Akashi was just looking at the roof after all.

"No. Its because of the conversation we had yesterday." Kuroko soon felt depressed again after being reminded of it. But then again... Why was Akashi looking around? Does he think Imayoshi could be around somewhere watching them?

"Before we leave to go search for supplies today... can I please tell everyone?" Kuroko reluctantly asked. "I don't want this to sit longer than it should."

"Of course. I was planning to have you tell them after training anyway. Its better you tell them than if they learn it in another way..." Akashi's eyes moved, looking around once again, but to Kuroko it seemed as if the other was on edge.

"Let's begin. We don't have much time."

"Alright.. You said we were doing defense today right?"

Even if they worked on defense for the next half hour, Kuroko still got beat up by Akashi! The other would teach Kuroko defensive moves then try to attack to see if Kuroko understood. It was unfair to Kuroko. Akashi was bigger and stronger and faster and more experienced-

Kuroko sighed as he sat up after being knocked down for the millionth time. "How much longer of this are we doing…?"

"We're not. We're going inside." Akashi looked around again before taking the first steps towards the house. "Get in and now." Akashi told the other who quickly stood up to follow.

"Is something wrong?" Kuroko asked as he followed Akashi into the house. "Did you see something?"

Akashi closed the door behind him as he and Kuroko entered the house. "There are four... No, more humans out there watching us."

"What?" Kuroko actually stopped in shock. "Where were they? I didn't.." He didn't notice any since he had been thrown around and was focusing on training. "What do we do?"

"Seeing as their numbers are slowly in increasing, they must be gathering up. We don't have much time before all of them arrive. You have to tell the others and then we'll have to escape. That's our only option." Akashi remained calm, not wanting Kuroko to panic and cause uproar.

"How will we escape when.." If they were surrounding them, how could the escape unseen?

This was all his fault. If Kuroko had just stayed with his group and stayed away from Imayoshi, this might not have happened. Well, who's to say this was Imayoshi's doing? Maybe it was all just a big coincidence. "I'm going to go wake up everyone."

And so Kuroko went on to wake the others up, even Kise. At this point he didn't care if they were on good terms or not. Not when they're surrounded by other humans.

"Ehhh~ What's wrong Tetsu?" Aomine grumbled as he and everyone else slowly sat up, still partially sleeping.

"Nothing just.. Let's all just wake up and stay in the living room. Quietly." Kuroko said. "I have to.. tell you guys something. But please don't make a big fuss when I tell. Now's not the best time to tell you guys but it's really now or never."

"Ehh?" Aomine was confused and thought he was still asleep.

"What's happening Akashi?" Midorima asked the redhead who was standing next to the window. "Listen to Kuroko and don't make any noises. You'll find out soon."

When they noticed the serious and somewhat tense Akashi, they all focused their attention on Kuroko. Now fully wake up and eager to find out what's going on.

Kuroko didn't really want to tell them, afraid of the judgment that was to come. But if they found out any other way, it would turn out much worse. He took a deep breath, looking at everyone before speaking.

"Even though I'm afraid, I won't beat around the bush. Every time I got separated from the group, I.." He sighed softly. "I met up with someone. We talked and searched for supplies together. But please know that I didn't mean to endanger us. I never told him anything about you guys and the group or what we plan to do. I messed up and I know. Please forgive me." He bowed his head, unable to look at any of them in the eyes.

Everyone was quiet, surprised and startled by the revelation. Each of them had a different thought running through their mind, some negative while some trying to be positive... the only one being Aomine.

"Is he a good guy? Can we trust him?" Aomine asked but when Akashi shook his head, he lowered his head.

"Who is this person and why are you and Akashi acting like this? What's happening?" Midorima questioned as he stood up from the couch.

"There.. there are people surrounding the house. We have to escape as Akashi said. There isn't a lot but he thinks more are coming." Kuroko explained. "I didn't think this would happen.. I'm sorry.." If he really did endanger them all, how could he ever face the group again?

"There are people outside!?" Aomine and everyone else jumped up in surprise, moving to the windows. Aomine and Kise looked out the window to see one person on the roof of the house next to them.

"It's true!"

Now everyone was beginning to be uneasy and tense. They couldn't even process the information that Kuroko was the one to blame. After all, they don't have the time nor the leisure.

"Akashi-kun, what do we do?" Kuroko asked as he went to the other. More people probably arrived which increased the difficulty of escaping.

Akashi was peeking behind a curtain when Kuroko approached him. It seems the situation is even worse than he had anticipated. He estimated about 15 men out there already. With such a big number, they wouldn't stand a chance at all.

Akashi knew the only option is to escape. He turned towards the bluenette, "Do you know any passages or paths we can use to get out unnoticed?" Since its Kuroko's house, he would know the best.

Kuroko tried to think of any place that wouldn't bring attention but none came to mind. It's not like they have a secret room or something. "I'm sorry but we have nothing but the doors and windows. Even if we tried to Windows upstairs and used he roof to escape, there's the problem of getting down." Kuroko said.

"I see." Now they were really in a pinch. What are they suppose to do? Akashi didn't hesitate to look out of other windows, searching for a possible escape route. He looked thought one, then another and another window but every time he looked, there would be more and more people outside.

Akashi cursed to himself, not intending to give up. It was only then when he looked out the back entrance window that he noticed something. The neighbor's house was pretty close to Kuroko's house... So close that their pursuers wouldn't be able to see them if they went out quickly in two groups.

Akashi hesitated but its not like he has a choice. Its either this or getting killed. He turned around and raised his voice, "Everyone come here! We're getting out of here."

Everyone came close to listen to what Akashi had to say. They were all willing and ready to escape. Who knows what could happen if they didn't leave now. Most likely death.

"We're running through the garden and going into the neighbor's house. The roof is large enough to hide us from the people outside. However, we can't all cross at once. We'll have to each take a turn." Akashi looked outside the window to make sure that their pursuers aren't in a position where they could see them crossing. Luckily they didn't seem to be.

"Who's all going first?" Kuroko asked. There was no point in asking if it would work or not. It's just a matter of luck now.

"It doesn't matter. One by one we'll go." Akashi opened the doors and looked out. Thankfully, the coast was clear. "Go." Akashi whispered more then said as Aomine was the first one to go out. The tanned teen, carefully crossed, while watching for his surroundings. Making sure he's not seen.

While the second person was waiting to go, Akashi walked up to Kuroko, "You're going with me."

"Huh? Why?" Kuroko asked with confusion. He knew they were in a pinch at the moment, but he couldn't help but ask. "Why together? Won't that let us get spotted?"

"Do I really have to say? You're clumsy, weak and slow. If its you, you might actually be spotted." Akashi watched as Midorima ran and reached the second house where Aomine was. The next person in line who was Takao, crossed.

Kuroko frowned and even narrowed his eyes but he didn't deny it. He was clumsy and weak and slow, but he hated being reminded of that. It wasn't something reassuring to hear when you're in a life or death situation. "Fine."

When Murasakibara, who was the last person apart from Kuroko and Akashi crossed, it was their turn. Akashi looked around before he pulled Kuroko's hand and they both ran out. They stopped at the fence to see if anyone saw them, before they made sure of that, they did it and crossed over.

Now that everyone was inside the other house, Akashi didn't waste time. "Quickly let's move. We're not safe just yet."

"Where will we go?" It was Takao who asked this time. "Even if it's not the house they're targeting, it's pretty close so they might still see us."

"Exactly. That's why we have to move further away." Akashi didn't waste time and started looking for other possible escape routes. They'll have to do and find something, or else they're done for.

The others started looking around while Kuroko tried to recall if there was anything they could do. "Maybe we can run across the street? Beyond those houses are basically alleyways that lead into the bigger part of the city." Kuroko suggested. "They might not have a chance at spotting us until we are already in the alley.."

"Then we'll do that. Lead the way Kuroko." Akashi and everyone else turned towards the bluenette, ready to follow. Even though they don't trust Kuroko completely, they'll have to this time. Their lives are at stake.

Kuroko was nervous about leading them all. He had lead them before but this was a life or death situation. If someone died, it would be his fault. Kuroko went towards the front of the house in the direction he said. He took a deep breath before quietly opening the door. However once it was fully opened, he started sprinting with everyone behind him.

The group ran as fast as they could to where Kuroko lead them. Its better to try rather than doing nothing and dying. While running, Akashi glanced at the direction of Kuroko's house. His eyes widened when he noticed a person on the roof, watching them. "Watch out!" He warned but it was already too late.

The man on the roof shot from his gun as Takao fell down and screamed in pain. "Takao!" Everyone was surprised, stopping to tend to Takao. Midorima approached the other and kneeled down next to him in worry. "Takao! He was shot!" Midorima noticed his right leg bleeding, guessing that must be where he was shot at.

Everyone stopped even though they were in a tight situation. Kuroko had no clue what to do. Could they carry Takao? It was a lot of carrying over a lot of distance, but they had to try. "Can we carry him?" If they didn't do anything quick, they'd be surrounded again.

"N-No, I'll be fine!" Takao tried to insist, wincing at every single movement he made no matter how small it was.

"Don't move idiot! You're wounded!" Midorima raised his voice and prevented Takao from moving and injuring himself further. Midorima panicked. He did have his medical equipment with him at all times but now they weren't in a place where they could treat Takao safely. What's more, they're all in danger in getting shot as well.

The group formed a circle around Takao, watching the enemies and their next move. They all stiffened when they noticed the other survivors moving and running after hearing the shot. Their comrade, the man who shot Takao, raised his voice and notified his friends of his catch. After hearing him call them, the rest ran to where Kuroko and his group were.

And before they knew it, Kuroko and the others were surrounded by men holding guns and knifes. "Drop your weapons and bags down! Now!" One of the men commanded, but Aomine and the rest hesitated.

Kuroko looked all around and wondered if they could attack. Would he be able to pull out his sword or crossbow before getting shot or stabbed? "C-Can't you guys use your weapons?" He whispered towards Aomine. Their weapons would come in handy right now.

The tanned teen clenched his fists, "We can't." He uttered, holding himself back from doing anything harsh. "Our weapons don't work on humans." Aomine revealed and much to everyone's despair, it was true.

"What do you mean?" Couldn't work on humans? Then those weapons.. They were specifically made to fight those monsters? "Why..?"

"Hey! Stop talking and do as we say! Otherwise you'll all get a bullet to your head!" One of the men yelled, pressuring the group further. They didn't want to put down their only way out but then...

"Do as they say." Akashi put down his bag and weapons first, with everyone soon but hesitantly following. They were torn but had hope that Akashi must have some plan in store. As they put their weapons down, the men started picking them up. However, suddenly a similar face made its way through the crowd to stand before Kuroko and his group. "Oya~ Oya~ Long time no see Kuroko-kun~ I must say you're really in a big pinch right now~"

Kuroko stared at Imayoshi, wondering if he should be disappointed or angry. He didn't know which one so he just simply stared. "Why.. Why did you do this?" He had hoped all this time that it hadn't been Imayoshi, that it was just a coincidence. "You really weren't being friendly at all were you? You lied.." He understood that it was common nowadays. He lied too after all. "But why? Why capture us?"

"I was being friendly. In my own way of course, with just a tint of deception." Imayoshi smirked as one of his fox like eyes opened to look at Kuroko and his group. "Don't misunderstand Kuroko-kun, I really like you as a person but desperate times call for desperate measures. And that is the reason I captured you and your little group. You see~ You were pretty lucky that we saw you with your group before. If we would have seen you alone, we would have killed you a long time ago~"

Imayoshi teasingly walked over to stand in front of the bluenette, "As for why we wanted to capture you all, instead of you alone... Think about what we did these past couple of days. What did we do while we were together?"

The thing they have been doing together was just surviving... They gathered and searched for food and supplies. "So you've captured us to take our supplies? Is that what you're wanting?" They were going to take everything they've worked for? He knew it was foolish, but he thought he found another friend... and now he was going to lead everyone to their death whether it was by starvation or dehydration, or by this very group surrounding them.

"Bingo! That's exactly what we want, although you missed one thing Kuroko-kun~" Imyoshi's second eye opened as he looked at everyone. He saw Aomine practically itching in place with Kise doing the same. Although they were frustrated as well, Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara remained calm.

Imayoshi's eyes shifted to Akashi's as they met. "I see, so you've resorted to a sin." Akashi said, making Imayoshi widen his smirk.

"Hoo~ So you know why we captured you? You're smarter than Kuroko-kun that's for sure~"

Kuroko felt offended when he said that, but he didn't say anything. He just looked down and hugged himself with his arms. If he didn't die by this group, he'd probably get killed or exiled by his own. They'd never keep him after he got them all captured. "I thought you were different.. I know it's stupid, but I didn't want to have to always constantly watch my back, even from people. People like you disappoint me."

"You're so cruel Kuroko-kun. Even though I like you a lot, you're cruel towards me. Oh well~ I guess I can't blame you." Imayoshi closed his eyes and walked over to Kuroko again, leaning closer. "We'll have a lot of time to chat once we get to our base. We'll take good care of you." The raven head licked his lips as the men surrounding them closed in and restrained everyone.

As they were being restrained, Kuroko could do nothing but look at Imayoshi or at his group. He thought that he could finally have someone to trust and talk with besides Aomine, but that person betrayed him. He was going to take their supplies and basically indirectly kill them... He knew it was a bad thing to wish, but he just wished Ogiwara wasn't gone. The thought made him sad again but when would be a better time to feel discouraged than now?

"Go back to the house and gather everything you can. We're going back to the base." Imayoshi told a part of his group to split off and search the house while he and the rest took the prisoners back to the base.

"Get moving!" and so they did. Although it took everything they had in them to hold back, especially Aomine who tried to resist as much as he could. Even though he tried, there was no chance to escape. Not with a wounded Takao and the rest of the group being restrained and possibly used as collateral against him.

The men had tied up Takao's hands but two of them had to support him as he had a hard time walking, with one of his legs being injured. Although they did help him walk, they were anything but gentle.

While on their way, Imayoshi walked over to Kuroko and the man who was restraining him. "You know, I really meant what I said. I really took a liking to you Kuroko-kun. How about it? Wanna join our group?"

Kuroko looked at Imayoshi before looking away, glancing over the group. Many times they had been unfair and untrustworthy with him, telling him he was just an intruder and not really a member of their group. At any moment they could betray him... but they did take him in after all. They could have refused to let him in or kill him when he asked to join. They could have abandoned him when he was injured instead of treating him. They could have got rid of him a long time ago.

"I'm sorry Imayoshi-san, but.. I got them into this mess. It wouldn't be right if I abandoned my ship like that." He had to take responsibility.

"Hmmm~ I see, but still, I'll give you some more time to think this over." Imayoshi smiled as everyone made their way through Tokyo city and its huge skyscrapers. Akashi and the rest were wary but then out of the blue when they turned a corner, they noticed a huge hole in the ground.

The hole was large but wasn't steep. On the contrary, the road above had fallen down and created a convenient access to the tunnel which was... the metro? When the group got down, they noticed the railways for the trains, confirming their doubts.

It was pretty smart to have a base underground. It would be harder to find and even attack. Kuroko wished he thought of that when they got there. However he didn't feel too bad because if they did, they might've ran into the group sooner and got captured a lot faster.

Imayoshi and his men took them deeper into the tunnels until they reached the end and huge metal doors appeared before them. It was strange to have huge metal doors underground but they guessed that workers or staff must have used it for some kind of a purpose.

Imayoshi didn't hesitate to knock, but the way he knocked was in a pattern, as if its some kind of an entrance code they have to do before the enter. When he was done, the doors opened wide, with one man (probably the guard) standing behind it, greeting his comrades.

The group was quickly ushered through the "camp". They didn't get a good look around but by the looks of it, it was big and had lots of supplies. Just how much of those supplies did they get by themselves and not by stealing?

Kuroko noticed a cage up ahead that must've been used to store tools or something but now, it was just empty. How typical for them to be placed into a cage like real prisoners.

They've pushed Kuroko and his group into the cage, locking it before walking away, leaving Imayoshi the only man standing before them. Of course, they had taken their restrains off since they couldn't do anything inside the cage.

Imayoshi watched them with a sleek smile before the doors opened to reveal another person. The said person had black hair that stretched up to his shoulder and had very thick eyebrows. He walked up to the cage to stand next to Imayoshi, looking at their caged prey.

"So this is the group you've been talking about?"

"Yeah~ They're quite special as you can see. Especially Kuroko-kun over there." Imayoshi pointed to Kuroko.

"Heh? That pipsqueak?"

"I'm not a pipsqueak.." Kuroko muttered quietly to himself as he watched the two from inside the cage. This whole time he didn't look at the group. He was afraid to find glares or anything alike.

"Che~ Looks weak."

"Maybe so, but he's interesting~" Imayoshi mused as both of them looked over at Kuroko. The rest of the group could do nothing else but watch, although one hotheaded member couldn't control himself.

"Oi! What do you want?" Aomine stood up and put his hands on the bars before him, making Imayoshi laugh.

"You should ask your group member over there. He seems to know what we want from you~" Imayoshi smirked while the other man watched in boredom.

Aomine glanced over at Akashi but the other shook his head.

"Well, we better get going. We have work to do." Imayoshi and the other man walked over to the door. "Ah! You don't have to worry about the monsters. We're pretty safe here." Before closing the door, Imayoshi didn't forget to say "We'll be back tomorrow. Think about my offer Kuroko-kun~" And finally left.

Kuroko didn't know how he was interesting but one thing he knew for sure was that he wasn't ever joining that group. He finally worked up the courage to look at his group. No one was really looking at him except a certain blonde who looked pretty irritated. He tried to ignore Kise and slowly went to Aomine.

"Aomine-kun.." He started quietly, afraid to speak and gain everyone's attention. "I'm sorry.. I'm really sorry." He apologized over and over. Even when Kise made a comment about how it was his fault and that sorry wouldn't cover it, Kuroko couldn't respond. He was certain the whole group hated him now, even Aomine.

"Shit!" Aomine hit the bars with all his strength, frustrated and confused. He didn't know what to make of the situation at all. How did everything happen? How did they suddenly get ambushed? Everything was a mess. He remained quiet, not responding to Kuroko because he didn't want to, but because he didn't know what to say.

"Calm down Aomine. We need to figure out how to get out of this nanodayo." Midorima told Aomine while kneeling next to Takao, trying to see what he can do about the wound.

Kuroko remembered about Takao when Midorima spoke. He reluctantly walked over to look down at Takao who was lying down by Midorima's orders. He felt like he should help since this was his entire fault.

"It's not that bad.." Takao said when he saw Kuroko staring at his wound.

"I-Is there anything I can help with?" Kuroko hesitantly asked.

"There's barely anything I could do, let alone you. Without my equipment I can't do anything but try to slow down the bleeding." Midorima ripped a part of his shirt to cover Takao's wound with it. Although... "If we don't take out the bullet then it'll be a problem. We could try to take it out by hand but it'll be very painful."

"It won't hurt more than being shot right?" Takao said playfully before turning a little hesitant. "...Right?"

"If you need help, please tell me. I'll help anyway I can." Kuroko promised Midorima.

Midorima nodded before looking over at the raven head. "Alright then, I'll be taking out the bullet by hand. I don't know how deep it is or if we can even take it out depending on where it is but its better to try than to do nothing." Midorima rolled up his sleeves, examining the wound. "Are you ready?"

Kuroko nodded and kneeled down beside Takao. "W-Wait, how much is this going to hurt?" Takao asked Midorima. It hurt to get shot but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt any more when taking it out.

"It'll hurt a lot but you'll have to bear with it. I won't let you die in a place like this." Midorima had his mind set and Takao noticed this. He was really determined and not going back on his word.

Kuroko offered Takao his hand, which the other gladly accepted. "Should we have Aomine-kun help?" Kuroko wouldn't be able to hold Takao down by himself.

They all turned towards the tanned teen who had his head low. Aomine sighed before walking over to Takao, nodding, agreeing to help but then at the same time, everyone surrounded the wounded Takao, hoping to help as well. "We'll all hold him down." Akashi said as Midorima nodded. With everyone here, it wouldn't be so difficult, although it won't do anything to minimize Takao's pain.

Midorima began the small 'operation' and when he did, Takao began screaming. He wasn't trashing about as much as they thought but the pain was still there. Midorima tried to finish as quickly as possible but couldn't because the bullet was so deep. Not being able to reach the bullet with his hand, Midorima stopped, relieving Takao of the pain.

"No good. Its too deep into the wound. I'll need my equipment to take it out." Midorima said to everyone as Takao panted from the pain.

"But they took all our supplies." Kuroko frowned. How would they patch Takao up with none of Midorima's tools and supplies? "They aren't even in this room…"

"Then we'll get the tools we need." Akashi said as the group now shifted their attention from Midorima to Akashi. "I have a plan but it depends on you Kuroko. Are you willing to expose yourself to danger and risk dying for the sake of freedom?"

Kuroko didn't respond at first. Risk his life? Expose himself to danger? Why would he agree to this? Then he thought... He's been doing that ever since the apocalypse started. He's been risking everything to live and to escape these monsters that have taken over their land. Besides this was his responsibility. He got everyone into this mess. "Yes.. I'll do anything to help."

"Good." Akashi noticed that Kuroko was hesitant but still agreed to it. They were betrayed by the bluenette and some of them didn't know how to feel about the situation but now... Kuroko was their only hope out and they would have to trust him. They all gathered in a circle, except for Takao, to discuss the plan.

Akashi began, "Since your friend offered you a position in their group, you should take it. It would be rude of you to decline." The redhead locked eyes with Kuroko, "We'll take that opportunity to have you gather information, medical equipment and anything else we'll need."

"You want me to join their group?" Did that mean Akashi trusted him enough to know he's not going to just run away once he's free? Or maybe he just knew this was the only way for him to sAve his group. Either way, Kuroko would do it. "What if they suspect me though? What do I do?"

"Prove them wrong. Do anything necessary to make them believe you. That's the only way." Even if he has to stab one of them to make Imayoshi and his men believe them, he has to do it.

"So.. next time he comes around... I just request to join? What if he asks why?" Kuroko could probably say something like he's afraid of dying or something.

"That would be hard to believe since you declined his first offer." Akashi thought, "When he asks you again, tell him you want to join. As for why... Isn't the will to survive the most reasonable reason?"

"That's what I was thinking." Kuroko nodded. "I guess I'll do that.."

Akashi nodded while the group did the same. Now they had a plan but it all of its success depends on Kuroko alone. All they could do was wait inside the cage.

So much time has passed from their little meeting but nothing happened. Because they were underground, it was hard to tell the time of day. Akashi assumed it was night after a whole and suggested for them to get some rest. They'll need to be rested if they ever thought of getting out of there.

The next time Kuroko woke up, it was because someone entered the room. He tiredly opened his eyes. Man, sleeping on the ground made you sore! He looked up, watching Imayoshi carry some food into the room. It didn't look like a lot, but it looked like it was enough for everyone to at least eat something.

"Morning~ I brought some food for our dear guests." Imayoshi cheerfully said as he walked up to the cage. "Che! As if I would eat something from you." Aomine groaned, just waking up.

"Rude. But I would eat if I were you, otherwise you'll die of hunger." Imayoshi mused, maintaining his cheerful attitude as he waved to Kuroko to stand up and get the food.

Kuroko had been hesitant about getting the food but then he remembered the plan and got up. He went over to Imayoshi, trying to fix his bed head while he was at it. How should he bring up the topic? "Um.. I was thinking about what you said.." He started.

"What I said...? Oh~ You did? That's great Kuroko-kun! So, what is your answer?" While Imayoshi asked, another person walked through the doors and into the room. The said person was the same man whom they saw yesterday and by the looks of it, he had a high position in the group.

"Um.." Kuroko glanced at the black haired man before looking back at Imayoshi. "I accept.. I'll join your group."

"That's wonderful! I'm really happy you chose to join us. Although, why the sudden change of heart? Why did you abandon the ship?" Imayoshi curiously asked as the man beside him groaned, annoyed.

"I don't want to rot away in here. I realized that the only reason why I joined this group was to live. If I have to abandon them to live, so be it." Kuroko explained. At first it was true, he did just join them to live. But after being with them for a while, he felt close with them even though they still don't trust him.

"The will to live huh~? Well, I can't blame you. We all want to live after all. Alright, that settles it. Kuroko-kun is a new member." Imayoshi happily said while the man beside him groaned again. "That's bullshit. He obviously has ulterior motives." The man looked at Kuroko with wary eyes until Imayoshi snapped him out of it by placing his arm on the man's shoulder.

"Ohh~ Come on Mako-chan~ Kuroko-kun is an interesting person. I'm sure you'll take a liking to him too." Imayoshi mused but the other wasn't amused. "Stop making decisions like that by yourself. You really-"

"Hai~ Hai~ Let's get Kuroko-kun out of the cage now~." Imayoshi ruffled through his pockets, while the other man gave Kuroko another look.

Kuroko waited patiently, knowing that trying to attack or anything would ruin all of his chances of helping the group.

"I always knew you were a traitor." Kise muttered. Kuroko looked away and didn't respond.

Imayoshi smiled as he found the keys and opened the door for Kuroko to come out. While he did, the other man didn't take his eyes off of him. "You made the right choice Kuroko-kun." Imayoshi put his hand on Kuroko's shoulder, more than content.

Kuroko tried not to show any signs of discomfort and just smiled. "I'm glad I did." He said, looking up at Imayoshi. "It'll be like when we searched for supplies together, remember?"

"Ah~ Good times~ Good times~ Let's work together again." Imayoshi's smile widened while the other man got more and more annoyed. "Now since you're a part of us, you'll tell us a bit about the prisoners right?"

"Well.. I guess so, yeah. But I haven't been with them long so I don't know everything about them." Kuroko didn't want to give anything away, but Akashi did tell him to do whatever is necessary to gain their trust.

"I see." Imayoshi put his hand on his chin in thought while the other man watched annoyed. "It's simple. Just tell us who the leader is. We'll get information from him our own way~"

Their own way? Kuroko managed to catch himself before he could look at Akashi. Should he lie? Tell the truth? What if Akashi thought he was doing this for revenge? "..It's the redhead over there." He said, glancing at Akashi. He wished he could say sorry, but that would be too suspicious.

Imayoshi and the man beside him looked over at Akashi who was sitting on the ground. "I knew it was you when I saw the group for the first time. You do give off an aura of a leader~" Imayoshi teasingly said as the man beside him walked over to the door and returned with two more men with him.

"Open the cage. We're taking the redhead as well." The raven head commanded the two lackeys as they opened the cage and went for Akashi. "Don't touch him you-" Aomine tried to fight back but ended up being shocked by a taser one of the guards had. Aomine fell on the ground in pain, with Kise running to his side.

Kuroko resisted running after Aomine as well. Not only was there a cage between them, but it would ruin his trust with Imayoshi. This group was absolutely ruthless. Everyone watched as Akashi, who didn't put up much of a fight, was retrieved. Kuroko reluctantly looked at him. He didn't feel so good about this plan anymore but it wouldn't do any good to reveal himself now.

The guards retrieved Akashi and closed the cage behind him. They were handcuffing his hands when he looked over at Kuroko, their eyes meeting. Akashi gave Kuroko a reassuring look, silently telling him "Go along with it". It was hard for Kuroko to ignore but he wasn't the only one who felt that way. They were all at the mercy of Imayoshi and his group and the only way to have a chance of escaping was this. There was no other choice.

"We'll have a nice long chat." The raven head licked his lips as the men restraining Akashi led him out of the room, with the raven head close behind them. "We should head out too Kuroko-kun. I want to show you around~" Imayoshi put his hand on Kuroko's shoulder again and led him out of the room.

"Is that it!? Is that all we meant to you Tetsu?" Aomine called out after them just when the doors closed. He and the rest were afraid, not for themselves but for Kuroko and Akashi.

"Do you think they'll be fine?" Kise asked as Aomine sat up, his hand placed against his stomach where he was shocked.

Aomine groaned out in pain but a smile didn't escape him. "Tetsu will do it. I trust him."

"You trust him? Even if he was meeting up with another person behind our back and got us into this situation?" Midorima sceptically asked but Aomine's smile didn't waver.

"Yeah... I thought about it and I don't think Tetsu meant any harm. It just backfired on him like that." Aomine looked up to the doors. "Tetsu is a good person. He'll figure something out."

Kuroko had been feeling alright at the moment since Akashi was close by. It was like his mind assumed that if Akashi is close, nothing can go wrong. However the two parted with that black haired man taking Akashi away and Imayoshi leading him somewhere else. Now that they were alone, Kuroko felt both relieved and scared. At least that other man wasn't with them. "Who is that? The other guy with the black hair?"

"Hanamiya Makoto, my partner in crime. The two of us made this group and are the leaders." Imayoshi revealed while he led Kuroko through maze like tunnels. Although Kuroko felt better since the tunnels were filled with other group members walking around. "Quite scary isn't he? But don't worry, even though he looks scary Mako-chan is harmless~"

"Are you sure? It doesn't seem like he likes me." Kuroko mumbled. "So you're the leader of this place?"

"Haha! Don't worry, he just looks scary is all." The two passed what seemed like a storage room but Kuroko only got a glance of the room as one member opened the doors and entered. "One of the leaders. I and Mako-chan made the group when the apocalypse began and it became bigger and bigger as time flew by. Currently we have about 30 members."

"30?" Kuroko repeated with shock. "How do you feed them all?" It must be hard to control a group of 30 people.

"We have our ways." Imayoshi said but Kuroko didn't miss a small smile that appeared on his face. The two finally arrived to their destination, which was... some sort of a canteen? "This is our dinning room. A bit small and cramped but it still serves its purpose well." Imayoshi led Kuroko further inside and it was then that Kuroko noticed fire further into the cave, placed further away from the actual dining place so that it doesn't stink.

He looked around with curiosity, but also to see if there are any other exits. Sadly there weren't. It was just a room for eating. Some members were already eating too. As he looked closer, he felt like something was weird about the picture. Then it clicked in his head. "Meat.. You actually have meat?" He asked with awe. It's been months since he's even laid eyes on a piece of edible meat. Did they raise cattle or kill animals for it?

"Yes. We went through great lengths to get it." Imayoshi led Kuroko further inside and to one of the tables. At the table there were four men who were eating but when they noticed their leader approaching them, they looked up.

"This is Kuroko Tetsuya. A new member. Please treat him nicely." Imayoshi introduced but all of the men raised a brow. A new member? But then they understood...

"Hello Kuroko. My name's Kōjiro Furuhashi. Nice to meet you." One of the men greeted, standing up and extending his hand for a handshake. Although Kuroko couldn't miss his eyes which looked like that of a dead fish.

Kuroko knew that wasn't normal but tried not to bring it up. He reluctantly reached out to shake the others hand. "It's nice to meet you too.."

Kuroko noticed another member staring at him. "Are you a woman?" He asked but soon received a smack to the head by the fish guy. "Oww! That hurt bastard!"

Furuhashi didn't show any emotion and only sighed. "He's obviously a man." He hesitated... "Right?" Turning towards Kuroko again, while Imayoshi held in his giggles.

"I'm not a girl." Kuroko frowned, turning away slightly. He hasn't heard that in a while. It's been a long while since he's been mistaken as a girl.

"This is how you greet a new member? Geez~ I'm so sorry about this Kuroko-kun. They have no manners at all." Imayoshi looked down on them, making the group shiver.

"Um.. It's okay." Kuroko said. "I know I'm small and stuff. It must be easy to confuse what I am."

"Really eas- Owww!" The member, Yamazaki, received another punch to the head by the fish guy. "Stop hitting me already!" He irritatedly said but the other showed no reaction at all. They were a really weird group... Fish eyes, an idiot, one that was sleeping and one more member that was as quiet as can be.

"Well we better get going. Do you want to see how we cook the meat Kuroko-kun?"

"Sure, I guess." Kuroko nodded towards Imayoshi. "I'm still amazed that you have meat. I haven't seen or had any in so long.." Kuroko wasn't much of a "have to eat meat" person but that didn't mean he didn't like it. He just wasn't crazy over it like Aomine.

Aomine... He remembered how he got shocked and frowned. He had to get the whole group out of there fast. It wasn't safe here.

"Would you like to try some?" Imayoshi asked as they went towards the fire where three men were cooking the meat.

If Kuroko hadn't been reminded how dangerous this group was, he probably would have accepted. "Maybe later." Kuroko responded. "So do you guys hunt for the meat or something?"

The two reached the fireplace as Kuroko watched the meat burn in the fire. "Something like that. The truth is that only a few selected members hunt because if we gave away the information on what or how we hunt to everyone, then we wouldn't have anymore to hunt ourselves."

"I guess that's true... I don't see many animals around here, at least not normal ones. So that's why I was surprised that you said you could hunt." Most of the animals he sees except things like birds and such have turned into monsters as well. However it was odd that only some animals were effected and not all of them…

"Trust me, we have our ways." Imayoshi assured, watching the fire burn before him.

Kuroko watched the fire burn as he thought. How on earth was he going to find a way out of here? It seems like there's only one exit he knows of, and that's the entrance. Unless there's a secret exit somewhere, that's how they'll have to leave.

He suddenly thought of Akashi and remembered that he had been taken away. "Imayoshi-san, where is the redhead from before?"

"He's with Mako-chan. I'm sure they're having a really great time together. You don't have to worry Kuroko-kun~" Imayoshi said but Kuroko could feel a tint of amusement in the other's voice, no matter how hard he tried to conceal it... if he tried to conceal it.

"What are they doing together?" Kuroko asked softly. "Am I able to see?"

Imayoshi was watching the fire when a small smirk appeared on his face, "We could if you want, although I'm not sure if Mako-chan wants to be interrupted."

"We won't get in trouble, right? You're the leader too." Kuroko tried to insist without seeming suspicious.

"Since you insist, I can't turn you down." Imayoshi hid the smirk with a smile, placing his hand over Kuroko's shoulders and turning him around so they could go. "Let's go see what they're up to shall we?"

Kuroko nodded and let Imayoshi lead him away from the cooking room and towards the twisting halls again. He tried to memorize where they were going but it wasn't as easy as it seemed.

They were walking through the dark tunnels when Kuroko suddenly heard a scream. He didn't know what it was exactly since the voice was faint but when he got further down the tunnel, the screams intensified and he could finally make out what it was. It sounded like Akashi...

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Man I'm at a loss for words. I got a headache at the moment so I don't know what to say about the story- um, enjoy please? And as for some news, I went to a con for the very first time yesterday :3 It was small, but fun. My mother loved it and she isn't even an anime fan or anything like that :3

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** *Can't write note this week* Note will appear next week. SORRY! But just one thing I want to say is that, I know Akashi's plan was kind of crappy... sorry :( Should have come up with something better but in order for the story to go on, we needed them captured :( Sorry! *Super busy* *Will write a good note next week PROMISE*

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	11. File 11

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Kuroko fastened up his pace, with Imayoshi doing the same. The screams got louder and louder the closer they got. Finally the two saw old rotting metal doors before them. Imayoshi stepped forward, "This is it." And opened the doors to reveal a horrific sight. Kuroko's eyes widened in shock when he noticed a bloody Akashi hanging by the wall, his hands restrained by a chain and his topless body covered in bruises of all kinds.

The redhead was panting in pain while the three other people who were in the room, Hanamiya and two other men stopped to look at the newcomers. "What are you doing here Imayoshi? Didn't I tell you not to interrupt?"

"Kuroko-kun insisted." Imayoshi looked over at the bluenette.

Kuroko felt a little uncomfortable since Imayoshi said it was his idea. Would he get punished for wanting to see? Or would he be found out and thrown back into the cell with the others? "I-I was just curious.."

Hanamiya sighed, "Whatever." before walking over to Akashi. He put his hand on Akashi's chin, moving his face up so that he could look at him. "Ready to talk yet?" He asked but when he received no answer from the other, he used his taser to shock the other, causing him more pain.

Hanamiya watched Akashi scream in pain and then switched off his taser. "You know if you just tell me then all the pain will go away." Hanamiya tried but the other remained quiet. "Che... So stubborn."

Kuroko has never seen Akashi in pain or scream like this. It was a new sight that he felt like he shouldn't be seeing. But then again he was also glad he was watching. It was amazing to see how stubborn Akashi could be. He was enduring all this pain to keep the group safe... He was enduring all this pain because of Kuroko's foolishness.

"What will you do if he.. you know.. accidentally dies?" Kuroko asked Imayoshi quietly. "You won't be able to get information... So he shouldn't be too rough on him right?"

"Don't worry Kuroko-kun. You see, Mako-chan has done this many times before. He's an expert and knows when to stop. He won't kill him but... let's just say that he'll be in a state where he will be bordering death." Imayoshi and Kuroko watched as Hanamiya hit Akashi again, causing more pain.

"We'll see how long your determination will last." Hanamiya hissed, turning around and walking up to Kuroko and Imayoshi. "Not even a word. We'll continue tomorrow."

"That's too bad." Imayoshi said as he looked over a hanging Akashi who was covered in wounds.

Kuroko stared at Akashi's body, waiting for someone to help him but no one stepped up. He looked back at Imayoshi. "Isn't anyone going to help him? He'll bleed to death if left alone like this."

"Kuroko-kun has a point. What do you think Mako-chan?" He looked over at Hanamiya.

"He won't die from the wounds." Hanamiya went over to a table were... the torturing equipment was. Kuroko could tell by everything in this room that this was the torturing room or the interrogation room you could say.

"Hmmm~ Still you had some die in the past Mako-chan. Maybe we should treat him after all."

"I don't care. Do what you want, but I'll come back tomorrow for another 'session'." Hanamiya said as he and his men left the room, leaving Imayoshi and Kuroko alone with a chained up Akashi.

"We need him alive so how about you treat him Kuroko-kun? That could be your first task as a member?" Imayoshi walked over to the same table Hanamiya was at but instead of touching the equipment, he reached under the table and took out a small medical box. "We keep this in here just for cases like this." Imayoshi gave Kuroko the box.

Kuroko held the box carefully, nodding to Imayoshi. "Okay, thank you for trusting me with this job." He said softly, looking towards Akashi. He'd have to clean him up first to see his wounds... "Is there water in here?"

"Unfortunately no. You'll have to do without it." Imayoshi pat Kuroko's shoulder before walking over to the doors. "I'll come back in about an hour so make sure you're done by then." And he left.

As soon as they were alone, Kuroko quickly went to Akashi with the box at hand. "Akashi-kun? Can you hear me?" He asked worriedly. He's been quiet all this time, he didn't know if he's passed out or not.

Kuroko noticed Akashi's slightly opened eyes open a bit more, his head moving slightly. "K-Kuro..ko."

Kuroko felt dread fill him when Akashi spoke so softly, like he was in pain. Because he was in pain. All because of Kuroko. "Akashi-kun, I'm so sorry this is all my fault.." He opened the box to see what they had. He wasn't a doctor like Midorima but he had to do something! It was even worse because he couldn't even clean Akashi to see where his wounds were.

"No..." Akashi's voice was faint so Kuroko could barely hear him. "My... fault... I should have... done something." Kuroko could tell from Akashi's voice just how tired and exhausted the other was and it wasn't helping that Hanamiya decided to keep him chained up to the wall. This way he wouldn't even be able to lay down.

"You wouldn't have to do anything if I hadn't been stupid." Kuroko stressed as he pulled out some bandages. Then he read some of the bottles, seeing if there was ointment for the burns left behind by the tazors. "I know it must hurt to speak, but where does it hurt? Like the most... Where does it hurt most?" Akashi must've felt pain all over so asking where it hurt would be stupid.

Akashi's eyes were barely opened. He felt so tired but the enormous pain and Kuroko's voice kept him awake. "Chest..." He said, even though his whole body was hurting the same. He had to give Kuroko a place to start since the other knows nothing about treatment.

Chest.. He was shocked there the most wasn't he? He gently placed his hands on Akashi's chest and tried wiping some of the blood off. "I'm sorry if I hurt you further.. I'm not good at this."

Even though Kuroko was gentle, Akashi couldn't help but flinch and gasp in pain. Even small touches like this hurt him but he tried to endure.

Kuroko had to endure as well. He didn't like seeing Akashi in pain but if he didn't do this, he might end up in more pain. Once he got most of the blood off, he gently applied some ointment for the burn marks.

Akashi panted but endured while Kuroko applied the ointment. It burn and intensified his pain but he endured... "That man... is more... than... he seems..." Akashi managed to say in between his pants and luckily Kuroko heard it, even though it was like a whisper.

"Man? Which one?" Kuroko asked, looking up at Akashi. He wished he could get the other some water. That might help his throat and help clean his wounds.

"Glasses..." Glasses? Kuroko immediately knew he was referring to Imayoshi. "Playing... you... don't... deceived..." Akashi used the last bits of his strength as his eyes slowly started closing. Exhaustion catching up to him.

"W-Wait, Akashi-kun, don't sleep!" If Akashi fell asleep, who knows if he'd be able to open his eyes again? Kuroko placed his hands on Akashi's face in an attempt to keep him up, however he immediately let go when he remembered he had blood on his hands. He just stared as Akashi's eyes closed. At least he was still breathing...

Kuroko set to work trying to fix Akashi again. At least he won't be in so much pain. But what did he mean by playing? Was he trying to tell him to stay aware of Imayoshi? He already knew that! He looked up at Akashi sadly. This was his entire fault and Akashi was taking the beating for it. He needed to find the way out before Akashi, or one of the group members, end up killed.

Kuroko did the finishing touches and put bandages on Akashi's wounds. Almost covering up his whole body. With nothing more to do, Kuroko decided to stay by Akashi's side until Imayoshi comes for him. He watched Akashi's breathing even out but he still felt the need to get Akashi down to lay down. But even though he wanted to do it, he couldn't... he's done all he can for now.

And as soon as he knew it, the doors opened to reveal none other than Imayoshi who leaned on the doorway. "Done?"

Kuroko looked towards Imayoshi before back at Akashi. "We shouldn't keep him up like this. Can't we lay him down when he's resting?" He asked.

"No can do Kuroko-kun~ This is part of the torture. If we put him in a bed with blankets I doubt he would give us information. That's how it goes." Imayoshi mused as he noticed the bandaged Akashi. "You're too soft Kuroko-kun. A word of advice from me, don't be. It could kill you."

"I know.." Kuroko kept looking at Akashi. All this time he thought Akashi was rude and unfair towards him, but he was actually kind. Now his kindness might get him killed. "What will we do now?" He asked as he looked at Imayoshi.

"Well, believe it or not but its already night. I don't think it would be appropriate to put you back into the cage so would you like to share a room with me? Luckily my room has a double decker bed."

"..I guess.." Kuroko said and stood up. He looked at Akashi again before walking over to Imayoshi. He wasn't sure about sharing a room with the person Akashi told him to beware of, but he couldn't seem suspicious by denying the offer too much.

Kuroko and Imayoshi walked out of the room as Imayoshi closed it and they left, going to Imayoshi's room. "Do you feel sorry for your ex-group?"

"I mean.. I guess so. They're human too so it feels kind of wrong to lock them up and torture them." Kuroko admitted.

"And you would have faced the same fate if you didn't make the right choice. Everyone strives for one thing and that is survival. The weak are eaten while the strong survive. Isn't that the law of nature?" A sight of a hesitant Kuroko didn't escape his eyes, he sighed.

"How about this. You'll be in charge of taking care of them. Deliver food to the caged group and then tend to the redhead. Would that make you feel better?"

"I suppose so. Thank you, Imayoshi-san." Kuroko said, looking up at Imayoshi. "By the way... I don't mind sleeping on the floor. We don't need to share a bed."

"Haha! Don't worry Kuroko-kun, the bed is a double decker so you can take the top bed. Nobody sleeps there apart from me so there is no trouble." Imayoshi assured as they entered another section of the tunnels. They walked up to one of the rotting doors as Imayoshi opened it and let Kuroko walk in first.

Kuroko looked around the room and was glad to find that the bed was indeed a bunk bed. He sighed in relief and walked further into the room. "Hey Imayoshi-San? I just realized I still don't have my stuff. When am I able to get it back?"

Imayoshi walked over to a table and reached for something under, "Tada! Here is your bag Kuroko-kun. The men didn't touch anything so everything should be in place. Ah! That is apart from the weapons. All of the members aren't allowed to have a weapon inside the base. I hope you understand."

Kuroko looked at the bag and slowly took it. He wished he could keep his weapons so he could protect himself. But he also wanted to see Ogiwara now. And by Ogiwara, he meant the crossbow that had his name on it. "Okay, I understand."

"I'm glad." Imayoshi put his hand on Kuroko's head, ruffling his hair before walking over to his bed. "You don't mind taking the top bed right? I prefer the bottom."

Kuroko stood there for a moment, remembering how Aomine always ruffled his hair. "Uh.. yeah. Or I mean I don't mind of course."

Since Kuroko agreed, Imayoshi went on to lay down on his bed. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I'll take you back to the surface so we can search for some supplies. Just like good old days."

"Yeah." Kuroko climbed up to the top bunk and laid down. "I'll have to give the group in the cage their food first before we go."

"Oh yeah~ I forgot about the stock. Then I can take you there before we head out. The passages here are hard to memorise. It took me a while to get the hang of it."

"Okay. Thank you." Kuroko tried getting comfortable and sighed. "Well... good night I guess?"

"Night~" And so the room became quiet. Even though Kuroko could hear Imayoshi snore, he himself couldn't fall asleep. How could he when his group is imprisoned, possibly tortured by Hanamiya and his group? He hoped the group in the cage would be okay but he had doubts about Akashi. The poor redhead was all alone, probably unconscious in that cold room, tied up to the wall, not even able to lay down. Not to mention all of the wounds he had... and the new wounds he would receive tomorrow.

Kuroko hugged his bag that he brought with him to his bed. It did provide little comfort but he couldn't shake off the feeling of powerlessness that he had. Hopefully tomorrow he'll at least be able to find some medical equipment for Takao... Something to take the bullet out with... Kuroko hugged his bag tighter. Sleep won't come to him tonight.

It took hours for Imayoshi to wake up but even if he did, Kuroko had no idea if it was night or day. The cave really disoriented him and it made him feel trapped even more. It felt as if the walls would crumble on him, suffocating him to death.

The first thing the two did was go to the 'canteen' and eat themselves. Then as promised, Imayoshi led Kuroko to the cage where the rest of the group was. "I'll wait out here. Don't take too long."

"I won't." Kuroko said. He opened the door by himself even though he was holding a tray of food. He didn't say anything until the door was closed. He went to the cage, looking around for Takao immediately. He didn't look like he was doing too good, but he wasn't dead either. "How is he?"

"The wound is healing by itself but the bullet is still inside. With it Takao will have problems walking." Midorima informed Kuroko, sitting beside Takao who was still sleeping.

Aomine stood up when he noticed Kuroko come in, and walked over to the bars. "Did they do something to you Tetsu?"

"No but.." Kuroko shook when he remembered Akashi. He had to save him. Him and Takao and the group. "T-They... Akashi-kun.." He didn't want to say it. His voice died on him and he sat the tray down by the bars.

The group noticed Kuroko's voice crack, fearing the worst. "What happ-"

"Where's Aka-chin?" Murasakibara interrupted Aomine who was about to ask the same.

"He's in a room.. a torture room. I saw him. He was all bloody and beat up.. He nearly looked dead. I tried helping him but I'm no doctor. They're going to hurt him more today and try to get stuff out of him. But he's too stubborn.." Kuroko shook his head. They'd all blame him for Akashi getting hurt, and he knew he deserved it.

Murasakibara's expression changed to that of pure anger while everyone else was shocked and speechless. They were torturing Akashi? It didn't come as a surprise, they weren't expecting anything else but... to go to such an extend?

Murasakibara walked over to the bars in fury, grabbing them with his hands and trying to bend and break them. The group was further shocked by Murasakibara's strength and anger. Aomine and Kise ran up to the giant to try to stop him.

"Stop it! You'll only cause more trouble!" Kise pleaded.

"You'll get us all killed idiot!" The two tried to wrestle the giant who pushed them away and onto the floor. Midorima couldn't help but intervene. "Do you realise what you're doing? If you brake those bars then they could use Akashi against us! They could threaten to kill him or worse, torture him much more than they are now. Do you really want that?"

Murasakibara's eyes were fazed by fury but Midorima's words did get through him. He let go of the slightly bended bars and stepped away, calming down.

Kuroko had stepped back when Murasakibara tried bending the bars, but now he stepped back up to them. "Murasakibara-kun.. don't worry. I'll get him out of there then I'll get you guys too. Please trust me. I want to save him as much as you do."

After a minute of silence, Aomine spoke up "I trust you Tetsu." He stood up from the ground from where Murasakibara had pushed him and patted his pants. "And even though he doesn't show it, I'm sure big guy here does too." He pat Murasakibara's shoulder but had to stand on his toes to do so.

"Hmph. I guess it can't be helped. Although I'm still skeptical, I'll have to entrust Takao's life to you. Please find anything, anything to take the bullet out." Midorima pleaded. He couldn't bare to lose Takao... not like this.

"I'll try to find your bag. Or something to get the bullet." Kuroko promised before thinking of one place he saw that had tools. The torture room Akashi was in. That room had to have something to help Midorima. "I'll try to get it to you tonight or tomorrow morning."

"If you could, could you give it to me tonight? At this rate the wound will completely heal up with the bullet still inside. If it does then it will create a much bigger problem." He didn't want to say but it would also cause Takao much more pain.

"I'm sure Tetsu can do it." Aomine said with confidence as he walked up to the bars again to take the food and handed it over to everyone. "So what's the plan? I mean, how will we get out?"

"First I'm trying to find everyone's weapons and stuff." Kuroko said. "And I have to remember my way around here. It wouldn't do us good if we got lost. It would just get us captured in the end." Kuroko nervously looked towards the door. He should go quick before Imayoshi suspects him. "Look, I'll bring something tonight, I promise. Just wait for me."

"We'll wait." Aomine said as Kuroko stood up and went towards the door. However, before he could open them, Murasakibara called out to him. "Save Aka-chin." Murasakibara pleaded in worry. This was the first time Kuroko saw the giant being this worried and anxious.

Kuroko slowly nodded. "I'll save him. I promise." And he intended to keep that promise. He left the room, looking at Imayoshi. "They got their food."

"Then we can head out." Imayoshi pushed himself off the wall he was leading on and made his way with Kuroko towards the entrance. However, before they went out, the guard stopped them. "Your weapons are here." The man handed Imayoshi his weapons and gave Kuroko his.

Kuroko looked at his weapons with relief. No one seemed to have messed with them. Good. And now he finally had his weapons back... Now he felt a lot safer.

"Shall we go now?" Imayoshi asked and Kuroko nodded. The guard opened the doors and let them out. The nearer they got to the hole on the ground, the stronger the winds were. Kuroko never knew he would miss the fresh air this much. Being out in the open again was really refreshing. "Ah~ There's nothing like fresh air." Imayoshi stretched his hands out and took a deep breath.

Kuroko couldn't resist taking a deep breath. He missed the feeling of sun and the wind. And freedom now that they're always stuck down there. "So you come up here everyday?"

"Yeah. It gets suffocating down there so I use every chance I get to go outside. When there are no monsters around of course." Imayoshi looked around, deciding on a patch to take. "Let's go to the place we used to visit."

Kuroko followed Imayoshi, looking around as they walked. It really did feel nice to be out again... but he didn't feel comfortable with Imayoshi. "Um.. so what's our goal for today?"

"Gather supplies. What else would we be doing?" As they walked, Imayoshi took out his gun to admire. It was then that Kuroko noticed something. That gun was similar…

"I meant.. specific supplies.." Kuroko murmured, staring at the gun. Then it clicked. That's Akashi's gun. "Nice gun you got there."

"Right~? I picked it up from the pile of weapons we confiscated from the prisoners. I gotta say that I was shocked. How can someone fight with gloves and wooden crossbows? It honestly made me doubt those were their real weapons." It almost made him destroy the junk but perhaps they had a hidden purpose... although Imayoshi doubted that, he decided to keep the 'weapons' instead of breaking them. "This gun was the only thing that was of use and I gotta say its pretty handy. Light too."

Kuroko felt a bit insulted. That crossbow was his. Was Imayoshi really insulting his choice of weapon? He resisted telling Imayoshi that he shouldn't steal and just looked away. "Don't waste bullets."

"Naturally~" They both made their way to the shop they used to visit. Once it appeared within their sights the two went inside and started gathering anything they could. "Get food, water and some canned food too." This time the other specified.

"Alright." Kuroko said as he started gathering the supplies. However he was mostly focused on thinking of a plan on how to get everyone out of the cell. Everything was upon his shoulders... He didn't have anyone to help, not even Akashi.

Maybe it was because he was being tortured, but Kuroko was mostly concerned for Akashi. He felt the need to save him as soon as possible. He was the one who let him into the group and trusted him to lead them all to Tokyo. And he ruined that little bit of trust by meeting up with Imayoshi. Now he had to repay Akashi by saving him and his group.

"We got quite a bit today." Imayoshi mused as they made it out of the shop with four full bags. Now they really emptied the place, not even a bread crumb could be found. Everything gone. "Is it too heavy for you?"

"I'm fine." Kuroko had to build up muscle any way. Now was a good time to work on it. "Are we going straight back to the base?" He asked but before he could get an answer, he stopped dead in his tracks. Up ahead was one of those daytime creatures. Was it the type to get provoked when one was near it? Or maybe it was friendly? They couldn't take any chances.

However he found it odd when he heard it.. speaking? So animal monsters talk too? Kuroko didn't know if he was crazy or not, but he was certain the creature was saying things like "Where are you" and "I'll find you".

Kuroko was frozen in place and so was Imayoshi. The other slowly but carefully took out the gun from his backpack and raised it to aim at the beast. When he did, Kuroko put his hand on the gun, silently telling him not to shoot.

Imayoshi hesitated but didn't do anything and stood in place, his hand on the trigger. Although he soon started regretting it when the monster approached them, slowly a step at a time until it was just inches away. Kuroko and Imayoshi stood in place as the monster looked at them with its blood red eyes. The two were too afraid to do anything as the creature slowly leaned closer, its snout touching the tip of the gun.

The creature took its time examining and sniffing the weapon before it raised its head to look up at the two again. "Close... Near..." Kuroko heard it say before the creature suddenly walked past them, not interested in them at all.

Once the creature jumped up onto one of the roofs, Imayoshi and Kuroko fell down on the ground from the shock. They were so close to death yet for some strange reason... It didn't attack them.

"Why.." Kuroko couldn't think of how to finish his sentence. He was still in shock. However he was also curious. Why did it sniff Akashi's gun then say it was closer? It was all confusing.

Imayoshi stared into space, trying to understand what had happened. The monster just sniffed them and walked away? Without eating them? They still don't know anything about the new creatures that took over the world but... Imayoshi never thought something like this could happen. Could it be that the creatures are smarter than they seem?

Imayoshi stood up, still shaken by the encounter. "We're going back to base."

Kuroko didn't argue and stood up, looking around to see if there were any others. "Okay.. Yeah. This is enough anyway right?" He asked, referring to the four bags of supplies.

"It is." Imayoshi picked up his bag of supplies that he had dropped when he saw the monster and threw it over his back. "Let's go. There could be more coming out."

"Alright." Kuroko said, grabbing his bags. Even if it was underground and full of dangerous people, Kuroko would rather be in the base than outside at the moment. Plus he had to check on Akashi and get Midorima something to help Takao.

Kuroko picked up his bag as the two made their way back to the base. The encounter with the beast was still fresh in their minds but although Kuroko had the advantage to hear what it was saying, Imayoshi didn't need it because even though he didn't hear it, that thing's actions said it all. It said so much yet... it was so puzzling. This changes everything they knew about the creatures and it scared them. Its as if... they're evolving?

The two finally reached the tunnel and eventually the entrance. The guard took away their weapons as they made it inside. "We'll need to drop off the supplies to the kitchen and then you can tend to the redhead. Today you'll need to take extra care of him."

Kuroko felt worried at that statement but just nodded. "This time, is it possible to use water? Even just a little?" He asked softly with hope.

"I think you'll need it this time. Mako-chan has been busy with him since early morning. I never saw him being so desperate~" Imayoshi mused. "We can get the water from the kitchen."

"Alright. Thank you." Kuroko said, following Imayoshi to the kitchen. This time he paid extra attention to memorize the routes. "But... why is he so desperate?"

"Hmmmm~ I guess I should say 'irritated' rather than 'desperate'. You see, every time Mako-chan tortures someone, they immediately give him the information he wants, but this time that's not the case. Mako-chan's pride is on the line and by having the prisoner dead silent, it annoys him. That's how Mako-chan is."

"Oh.." So he wouldn't stop until Akashi gave the information... If this continues, Akashi might get himself killed. Should he try to convince Akashi to tell them what they wanted to know? He didn't want to see the other hurt anymore.

The two reached the kitchen and dropped off the supplies before Kuroko got some water (not much) and they headed down towards the torture room.

"I'll try to conserve this." Kuroko promised but not to save water. He really did need to conserve so he could both clean and hydrate Akashi. He doubted Akashi was being fed or watered much.

They were walking when finally Kuroko could hear the screams again, knowing they were coming closer to the torture room. They got closer and closer but unlike last time, Kuroko thought that the screams weren't as loud. Still, they were unbearable to hear and not only because of the sound but also because of how much Akashi suffered.

Imayoshi opened the doors to reveal a bloody Akashi in the same position as yesterday and Hanamiya who was holding a whip, and they could clearly see from Akashi's wounded body that it was used over and over again. Kuroko couldn't miss the pile of bloody bandages that were on the floor below Akashi. He didn't need to ask to know what happened... Hanamiya took it off and wounded the other even more. The wounds from yesterday re-opened and new ones were appearing by the minute. What's worse, the pain was ten times stronger as Hanamiya aimed for yesterday's wounds, causing so much more pain.

"Tell me what I need to know already!" Hanamiya hissed as he aimed the whip at Akashi who groaned out in pain. Kuroko could tell from the screams that Akashi was getting weak... so weak that he's even unable to scream out in pain.

Hanamiya stopped and approached Akashi, slapping his cheek lightly. "All this time you didn't even say one word. Say something, anything and I'll give you a break for a day." Hanamiya moved his hand to Akashi's chin, raising his head up to look at him. However, he wasn't pleased when he noticed Akashi's eyes closed, unresponsive and hanging in place like a doll.

Kuroko kept in a gasp, but he didn't try to wipe the worry off his face. Akashi couldn't survive much longer of this. Maybe he won't even survive until tomorrow... He was too scared to say anything, but he did take a few steps into the room to remind Hanimaya that they're there.

When Hanamiya heard steps behind him, he turned around. "Huh? Didn't I tell you not to interrupt!?" He hissed but Imayoshi stepped in. "My bad Mako-chan but I think its enough for today. We need to talk."

"Huh!? I'm not done yet! I'm far from done."

"No. You're done. We need to talk." Imayoshi insisted and by the way he looked, Hanamiya guessed it was something important. Although, he wouldn't leave without finding out at least one thing.

"Oi pipsqueak! What's his name?" Hanamiya approached Kuroko, pointing to Akashi.

Kuroko watched Hanimaya approach, feeling scared but he was used to hiding his fear. "I don't think it would do your pride any good if I told you... I'm sorry." He murmured quietly, looking down.

Hanamiya was taken aback by Kuroko's answer but it just made him more frustrated. "So you won't tell me? Heh~ If we're talking about pride, then I can go to the group in the cage and ask them. I'm sure they'll happily tell me what I need to know~" Hanamiya's words send a shiver down Kuroko's spine. Would the others be tortured in the same way?

Hanamiya heard the chains slightly move behind him, making him turn around to see Akashi trying to move his hands. "Hoo~ Conscious again?" He walked towards Akashi but when he did, he heard small whisper.

He leaned in to hear, "They... don't... know..." Akashi's words were faint and could be barely heard but Hanamiya understood what he said. "Haha! They don't? Then how about you tell me?" He made his hand into a fist and punched Akashi in the stomach, earning a groan from the other.

Akashi panted and Kuroko noticed that he started shaking as well. Hanamiya walked over to Kuroko and Imayoshi. "We'll use his friends to make him talk." Hanamiya smirked, "That is if you're still unwilling to tell me his name pipsqueak."

It was a tough choice. He didn't want to tell Hanimaya anything, but he also didn't want the group to get hurt. If Akashi got hurt by this small piece of information, he wouldn't forgive himself... But even if he didn't know Akashi well, he knew one thing. Akashi would do anything to keep his group safe.

"His name.. it's Akashi Seijuuro.." Kuroko finally said. "That's his name."

"Akashi?" Hanamiya and Imayoshi's expressions changed to that of surprise. Did he say something he shouldn't have? Why were the two so surprised? Kuroko got more nervous when Hanamiya started giggling, putting his hand on his face. "Haha! Akashi? Are you serious?"

He turned around to face Akashi again, "Suddenly I have so many more questions to ask~ Maybe I should use your friends after all~" Hanamiya licked his lips before turning to Kuroko again. "Make sure he doesn't die pipsqueak."

"Alright.." Kuroko responded with, avoiding all their eyes again. He just held the water tightly as he waited for them all to leave. Once the doors closed and he was alone with Akashi, he immediately went to the table. He had to find something for Midorima to help Takao get that bullet out. If he didn't find one now and end up taking all his time to patch up Akashi, he wouldn't be able to help Takao. Once he grabbed a few tools he hoped would be good enough, he went to Akashi with the water.

"Akashi-kun?" He said worriedly, setting the water down so he could gently lift up Akashi's face. Once again it was useless to ask if he was okay. "Do you think you have energy to drink some water?"

Despite his shaking body, Akashi managed a small nod. Kuroko raised the glass up to his lips as he drank the water slowly. It was pitiful to watch because even drinking the water was painful and took a lot of energy to do. When Akashi drank the entire cup, Kuroko moved it away. "Leave... me... escape... everyone." Akashi whispered, using all of his strength to do so.

"I can't leave you." Kuroko frowned. How could Akashi suggest that? "I'm not leaving you. I'm going to get everyone out, I promise." He insisted, picking up the water and medic case again. "I'm going to wash you okay? So this might hurt more than yesterday."

Akashi didn't respond but let Kuroko do what he had to do. Not only would it hurt more because of the water but also because the wounds from yesterday reopened. Compared to yesterday, Akashi had more wounds on his body.

"I'm sorry.. This is all my fault." Kuroko apologized as he cleaned Akashi's body, using the water wisely. "I promise I'll get you and the group out of here soon. But I'm not leaving you behind. I got everyone into this mess, that means it's my responsibility to get everyone out."

Akashi listened as Kuroko cleaned his body, flinching from time to time due to the pain. However, when Kuroko looked up to clean Akashi's face, he didn't miss a small smile. "Naive..."

Kuroko pouted and if Akashi wasn't so injured, he would have pinched his cheeks. Instead he just softly poked his forehead. "I may be stupid and naive, but I'm not giving up my kindness because of this apocalypse. It's the only trait of me that I had before. I'm not giving that up."

"Dangerous... t-trait..." Akashi paused to gather his strength, "But... rare…"

"Well when I die, I don't want to die knowing I was being rude or cruel. I want to die as myself." Kuroko said. He then paused and looked at Akashi's tired eyes. "I know you try to deny it, but I know you're kind too. You're just better at concealing it than me."

Akashi closed his eyes before opening them again, moving over to look at Kuroko's teal blue ones. "I'm... not…"

"You are. You wouldn't have let me into the group if you weren't. You wouldn't have kept me when I got injured. You wouldn't have trusted me to lead you to Tokyo. You wouldn't have done all those things if you weren't kind." Kuroko argued quietly, focusing on putting bandages on the wounds now. Then he suddenly remembered something. "The injured should be quiet and obey."

Akashi's smile widened, even if for a bit. He had his own words thrown back at him, quite ironic. Akashi thought about abandoning Kuroko many times ever since he joined the group. He thought and thought but even though his instincts were telling him to do so, he could never do it. He would always think how incompetent he is for not doing so but... he couldn't do it. He didn't have the heart to. Leaving someone alone to fend for themselves in a world like this... it would surely guarantee death.

Akashi isn't sure if he should regret his decision. After all, Kuroko is the reason they are in the situation they're in but then again, its also Akashi's fault. He should have taken action when Kuroko told him that night. If he would have acted sooner and tried to escape with the group instead of training Kuroko in the morning, he could have prevented this situation. At that time he thought the enemies were small in number but no, there were only more and more coming and that was his miscalculation.

In the end, Akashi was at fault and now he had to pay the price. He doesn't mind paying the price as long as the group is safe... although they are not safe right now.

He didn't actually expect the other to go quiet, but Kuroko wasn't complaining. He just finished with fixing Akashi's wounds, making sure none were left untreated. He looked up at the other, feeling dread when he saw how tired and weak he was. "Listen, tonight I'm going to try and bring the group food. When I bring them their food, I'm going to give Midorima some supplies to help Takao get the bullet out his leg. I've also memorized how to get from here and the cage to outside. Not many people walk around but there are guards at the front. As for getting you and the others out... I think the keys might be in Imayoshi-san's room."

Akashi looked up, woken by the information but still fazed. Kuroko already memorized the route and had a plan to get out? The timing is crucial and Akashi was glad that the other didn't take so long to do the task he had given him. Although... There was nothing Akashi could do to help. He could barely talk and barely move. Surely he would be slowing down the group, decreasing their chances to escape. Although knowing Kuroko as much as he does, he knew the other would be too stubborn to leave him behind.

Akashi gathered his strength to speak up, "When?" When does Kuroko plan to take action?

"Hopefully tomorrow if I find the keys tonight." Kuroko decided. "But tonight... should I bring you something? You haven't been fed have you? Even if you are, it's not enough."

Akashi shook his head. He didn't eat and drink ever since the day they were taken hostage. When two guards came in with a piece of bread, Hanamiya told them off, deciding to starve him as a way to make him speak. That's why Akashi eagerly drank the water Kuroko gave him, even though he barely had the strength to do so.

"No... need... don't... risk..." If Kuroko went out of his way, then Imayoshi and the others would suspect him. Even though Akashi knew they already do. However, he still decided to play into their game for that little hope they have.

"Please.. You'll die if you go without water and food for too long. Especially under such treatment." Kuroko insisted, gently taking Akashi's face into his hands like yesterday, making Akashi look at him again. "I know they don't trust me. I obviously don't trust them either. But they wouldn't keep me in that cage if they needed me for something... so even if I'm caught, I doubt they'd throw me in the cage."

Akashi hesitated. No... they didn't need Kuroko... They were playing with him and should he do something to displease them, they would surely put him back into the cage. Akashi knew that they treat Kuroko the way they do is for their amusement. Playing with him until... No, Akashi couldn't have that. He couldn't risk Kuroko's life if it meant saving his own.

"P-Please... don't... risk.. life..." Akashi never thought he would plea to someone, but the current situation made him powerless... There's nothing he could do but plea and beg.

Kuroko frowned but didn't argue any further. He didn't want Akashi to drain all his energy arguing. "Okay.. I won't.. But if I find the keys tonight, I promise I'll get you all free tomorrow."

Akashi nodded, looking into Kuroko's eyes while he looked into Akashi's tired ones. "...Carefull..."

"Okay, I'll be careful." Kuroko promised. "You be careful too." He murmured. He had to lean up, but he did manage to softly kiss Akashi's forehead. His mother regularly told him that a kiss to the forehead meant you wanted to bless that person. To save himself from embarrassment, Kuroko hugged Akashi as carefully as he could so the other couldn't see his pink cheeks.

When he opened his eyes, about to pull away, he stopped and stared. On the back of Akashi's neck was something black... a tattoo? Kuroko was interested at first. He never got a tattoo before. He didn't think Akashi was the type to get them! But as he looked closer, he felt some form of discomfort. Why did the tattoo make him feel... on edge? It was a tattoo that was all black and it looked like it was a shield with an A through it... A for Akashi maybe?

However when he realized where he's seen this before, Kuroko quickly pulled away from Akashi. He took a few steps back, nearly tripping over his own feet from moving too fast. It wasn't... it couldn't be. His mind were playing tricks on him.

When Kuroko moved away, Akashi flinched from the pain and sudden movements. The room became quiet as Kuroko stared at the other; still unsure of what he saw. However, when he heard and noticed the chains slightly moving with Akashi raising his head up slowly so that he could look at Kuroko, it was then that Kuroko noticed something strange.

One of Akashi's eyes had a very strong shade of gold in it. Kuroko noticed it before but unlike the previous times, this time the golden color was clearly visible. Another thing that unsettled him was that Akashi's soft smile twisted and turned into a devious smirk.

Kuroko didn't know what to think of it. Akashi has the same tattoo as those monsters and now he's smirking while holding a new eye color... Maybe he really was going insane with this apocalypse. "A-Akashi-kun?" He finally found his voice but it was quiet, like he was afraid or hesitant. He slowly moved closer to Akashi again.

Akashi's eyes glared holes into Kuroko as he approached, his smirk still on his face. As he was getting closer, Kuroko couldn't help but gasp when Akashi's golden eye was now completely golden, not a tint of red in it like before.

"Why.." Kuroko couldn't finish his sentence because he couldn't think of what to ask first. Why was his eye gold? Why did he have a tattoo the same as the monsters? It was even in the same place on the back of the neck!

Akashi's eyes moved from Kuroko to look around the room. It was strange because Kuroko had the impression as if he's seeing his surroundings for the first time, even though he was in this room ever since they were captured. When Akashi's eyes examined the room, they returned onto the bluenette with the same intense gaze... although this one was much more... frightening.

"Your eye.." Kuroko mumbled as he took a few more steps closer. "It's.. is it okay?"

Akashi watched as Kuroko shortened the distance between them, until he finally stood inches apart but still maintaining a bit of distance. The chain's restraining the redhead rattled as he attempted to move his arms but much to his displeasure, he couldn't. "Free me and I'll tell you everything you want to know." Kuroko froze yet again when Akashi spoke clearly and normally... As if he wasn't injured at all.

"I can't free you. I don't have the keys and there's nothing in here that could break it. You know that." Kuroko still felt disturbed by the eye, but now he was disturbed at how healthy Akashi sounded. He was borderline weak just moments ago.. where did this strength come from?

Akashi lowered his head so that Kuroko couldn't see his face. However, even though Kuroko couldn't see Akashi's face, he could still see a smirk forming slowly in the darkness. "I'm here."

"I know you're there..?" Kuroko officially felt scared. It didn't seem like Akashi was talking to him, but who else could he be talking to? "Akashi-kun, really, are you okay?" He finally had the courage to reach out and softly touch his hair to get his attention.

However, just when Kuroko had touched Akashi's head, the doors suddenly opened, startling him. Kuroko moved the hand away out of reflex as he turned around to face Imayoshi. "Done yet?" Imayoshi asked but Kuroko turned around to look at again Akashi only to notice that... his eyes were closed... Is he unconscious?

"Yeah.. I'm done.." Kuroko said, moving away from Akashi. He walked to Imayoshi's side, glancing at Akashi one last time. "Imayoshi-san, since I'm taking care of the group now, am I bringing them supper too?"

"Of course. Just like you did in the morning." Imayoshi said as he looked over at Akashi, noticing the new bandages that were decorating his body.

"When will I give it to them? Now or later?" Kuroko asked, looking between Akashi and Imayoshi. He was worried that Akashi would wake up and act scary again, but he didn't.

"Let's do it now so that we can rest. Today was a really busy day." Imayoshi yawned as he approached the doors and waited for Kuroko to walk out.

Kuroko walked out with Imayoshi, letting the other close the door. "Okay. I'll do that now then. Are you coming this time? You look really tired."

"To tell you the truth I am." He yawned again. "Can I leave it to you then?"

"Yes. I'll be there soon." Kuroko smiled at Imayoshi. "Don't wait for me though. You look like you really need to rest."

"I won't, I won't." Imayoshi took his leave, waving at the bluenette as he slowly took his leave.

Kuroko nodded and headed for the kitchen by himself. It was like a test to see if he did memorize his way. Luckily he did and got food for the group. Then he headed to the cell where the group was being held. There was one guy there guarding the outside, but he let him go in. He made sure no one else was around before going inside. "I'm back." He said to the group, immediately checking for their conditions.

The group was immediately alerted when the doors opened, "Tetsu! Are you okay?" Aomine stood up and walked over to the bars.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kuroko said even though he was still a little spooked after the encounter with Akashi. "Um.. I have.. what you needed.. I don't know if it's good enough though or the right tools."

"Let me have a look." Midorima stood up and went over to them. When Kuroko gave him the items, he examined them. "Yes. I should be able to get it out with this." Midorima held up one item that Kuroko brought. Even though it wasn't exactly meant for that, it'll have to do.

"Okay. I'm glad I could help." Kuroko said with a sigh of relief. "But.. Midorima-kun, I have a question. Do you.. know Akashi-kun well?"

Midorima was confused by the sudden question, "I wouldn't say I know everything but I do know some things. Why? Did something happen to Akashi?"

Kuroko didn't want to answer because he didn't want to seem insane to the group. "Would you say he would care for the group before himself?" He asked, avoiding Midorima's question. Akashi was a good guy, he just knew it. He wanted to believe that by asking what the others thought.

Again, they were all surprised by another sudden question, making them worry. "Why are you asking? What happened?" Everyone's attention was on the bluenette, tension rising up.

"He was.. He was acting weird. He was so weak that he could barely drink the water I got him." Kuroko had decided not to bring the tattoo up. After all if might just be that, a tattoo. "He suddenly acted like he had strength once his eye changed... It was sudden. His eye just changed from red to gold.."

Everyone was confused, "Maybe the stress is just getting to you Tetsu? There's no way eyes can cha-" Aomine was interrupted when suddenly Murasakibara found his way to the bars again. Kuroko was startled but not because he was angry this time but because Murasakibara was... he didn't know how to explain it. Worried? Scared? Concerned?

The giant tightly held onto the bars as he looked down at Kuroko, "Just one eye right? Completely? Not a tint of red in it?"

"No.. No red at all. And yes, just one eye. His left eye." Kuroko explained. "Do you know what's wrong? I'm worried for him. What do I do?"

Murasakibara was quiet, squeezing the bars tightly in his hands. "Did... Did you see anything else? A tattoo-"

"What's going on? Changed eye color? Someone care to fill me in?" Aomine was not good at using his head. He was always the action type of a person so riddles like this do him no good.

"Yeah, what's happening?" Kise added. If Murasakibara hadn't reacted like he had, he would have thought Kuroko was making this up.

Kuroko didn't say anything and just slowly nodded in response to Murasakibara. "So you know about it? Do you also know about... you know..?" He didn't want to bring up the monsters in case it really was his imagination.

"It's-" Murasakibara was interrupted yet again when suddenly everything around them started shaking. An earthquake? Everyone stood up on their feet, apart from Takao who was just woken up from sleep. They were all worried and tense. It wasn't a comfortable feeling when you're in a cage during an earthquake.

"We have to get out of here!" Aomine stressed as he tried bending the bars but it was no good. At this rate they will be buried and killed!

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 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell: this stupid thing glitched out on me twice when I was writing my note so this is a short note today. Please enjoy the chapter.**

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** I'm so sorry everyone :( I'm so busy that I don't even have the time to stop to breathe... I have only about three weeks of school left and thus the torturous assignments and presentations I have to do :( I did promise in my previous note that I would write a longer review so here goes...

Alright so I know some of you have been onto us XD It was pretty obvious from the beginning and this chapter proves all of your suspicions. The identity of Subject 4 is... I don't want to say but u already know XD Or do you... hmmmm... Also, this story has NO MuroAka XD It was just a tease because you all know just how much I love to tease at the end of each chapter~ What else... Ah! Compared to the Nerd story we haven't been getting so many reviews so I'm a bit down about tat as well :( I really enjoy reading your guys' reviews so when there aren't that many to read it sucks :( But a HUGE THANK YOU to those of you who do take the time to review :) It means the world :D

Thank you so much for reading (I probably forgot half of the things I wanted to say :( my brains is still full of equations...) If u have any questions then plz don't hesitate to ask! Thank u and see u next week! :D p.s. plz drop some reviews~ XD

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	12. File 12

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

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"Don't panic!" Kuroko said quickly. Panicking wouldn't help them think of a way to get out. Maybe there was someway to break the lock on the cave door? He went over to the door before suddenly stopping. He heard something familiar outside the room. It couldn't be... "I think we are being under attack… by the monsters." He said with disbelief as he listened to their distorted voices outside the room.

"What!?" Aomine and Kise both screeched in shock. Monsters at a time like this? Could they be the cause of the earthquake? While Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara were standing beside the bars, Midorima didn't want to leave Takao's side and knelt beside him.

"We have to get out of here! Aren't there any keys around here?" Aomine asked in panic as Kuroko looked around.

"Hu-" Aomine jumped away when Murasakibara put his hands on the bars and started bending them with great force. It didn't take him long to create a huge gap, wide enough for everyone to pass through.

"I-I guess that works too." Aomine and Kise stood there speechless as Murasakibara passed through the gap first, getting out.

If he could do that, why didn't he do it from the very beginning?! Now this is another memory that will remind Kuroko to not get on Murasakibara's bad side.

Kuroko went inside the cage as soon as Murasakibara got out and quickly went to Midorima and Takao. "Should he walk? The bullet is still in him right?"

"No he can't." Midorima said, holding the item Kuroko brought in his hand. If only they had more time... perhaps he could take out the bullet... but they just didn't have that. "We'll have to carry him." Midorima moved so that he helped Takao on the right side while Kuroko moved to the left to help him stand.

"I'll be fine.. Don't worry about me." Takao tried to assure the two but they refused to let him walk alone.

"Even if you could walk, I doubt you could dodge one attack from this monsters outside." Kuroko said.

"I refuse to let you die here." Midorima and Kuroko supported the raven head as they slowly took him out of the cage, passing through the gap and out. Now that everyone was out, another obstacle faces them. The monsters and the enemy group outside.

"We have to get our weapons." Aomine suggested but Murasakibara had something different in mind. He turned towards Kuroko.

"Where's Aka-chin?"

Kuroko tried to remember. He could remember but it was an unconscious thing. He knew the way but he didn't know how to explain it. "I think it's... its down this hall then go right and go down that hall. The next hall should be the one I think... Do you want me to show you?

Murasakibara nodded, however, the others were hesitant. "But how will we get there? Without our weapons we're dead meat." And for once, Aomine did have a point.

"Aomine-kun's right. We need our weapons. They're at the entrance." Kuroko said. "We should go there first. We won't be able to get to Akashi-kun and escape without getting killed."

"We don't have the time!" Murasakibara raised his voice as he stormed to the doors, and then without any hesitation ran out. "You'll be killed!" Kise yelled after him but because of the earthquake and the creams of people being eaten, he was barely heard. When Murasakibara got out, they closed the doors again. "Shit! We need to act fast!"

Kuroko looked at Takao worriedly before towards the door. "Come on. We need to get our weapons quick." He said, helping Midorima carry him towards the door.

Even though the group was worried for Murasakibara and Akashi, there was nothing they could do for now. They got out the doors and the first thing they saw was the guard who was lying down on the ground, dead. Luckily he still had his weapon, which Aomine didn't hesitate to take. "It's loaded. This will have to do for now."

Kuroko nodded as the group began moving, Kuroko directing them. Then he remembered something that might be vital. "All our weapons might not be there, but I think most of it is. Imayoshi-san had Akashi-kun's gun, so I don't know if anyone else has anyone's weapon."

"Doesn't matter! It's our only chance of survival right now!" Aomine said as the group quickly made their way through the tunnels. They couldn't run because of Takao but they still tried to be quick. Luckily they didn't encounter any monsters yet but with the earth shaking this much it was hard to move.

Midorima and Kuroko were carrying Takao when suddenly the earth gave one strong shook, making the three fall down on the ground. Takao groaned out in pain as he fell onto the ground, holding onto his leg tightly. "Hold on Takao!" Midorima stressed but it was then that their luck had run out.

Just before them was a four legged creature that was looking at them from a distance, its mouth full of droll that was dripping onto the floor... its eyes blood red, desperate for blood. The monster did one loud roar before it marched towards them with full speed. The group panicked but Aomine took action and shot at the beast. He shot but it didn't have any effect at all, the monster didn't even flinch.

The creature ran and ran as the earth shook. When it was close, it jumped high, aiming at Takao as it landed on him, pinning him down onto the ground. "Takao!" Without thinking, the doctor quickly ran to help but when he did the creature pushed him away with one swing of its tail.

Kuroko and the others ran to help but just like with Midorima, the monster threw them all in different directions. The earth shook more and more and finally, the ground beneath them started crumbling as they all fell into one huge hole.

Everyone thought they'd be fine since they would be together, but they didn't expect the floor to give way _again_. Kuroko was too startled to let out a shout of surprise (or maybe pain?) But he did hear Takao's shout of pain. He wished he could have been with him to somehow help him.

Finally he met the ground and groaned in pain. Just as he tried to get up, something fell on him which knocked him down again. Did the monster follow them down? He quickly looked behind him but sighed in relief when he saw it was Midorima.

Midorima groaned out in pain as he fell down onto the bluenette. When he noticed that he fell down on someone, he immediately moved away. "Sorry Kuroko." But then he realised something... "Takao!" He called out but there was nobody in sight. Did the earth somehow separate them as they fell down? If so then they're in a dire situation. Luckily Kuroko and Midorima were together but could they say the same for the rest? "We have to find Takao. With his leg, he won't be able to move anywhere."

"I'm sure he is with someone else..." At least that's what he hoped. Kuroko tried standing and found nothing broken. He still felt sore though from the fall and Midorima landing on him. "But now we have to find the rest... and a way out of here." Not to mention that they still had to get their weapons and Akashi.

"How can you be so sure!? What if he fell down with the creature and it ate him?" Midorima raised his voice at the other as he observed his surroundings. They fell down on a huge pile of earth that swept them away from the rest when they fell down. With one side as a dead end, Midorima turned over the other side and noticed that there were two tunnels before them.

Kuroko never saw Midorima lose his cool like that so it was a bit scary. He must've really cared for Takao. "Then let's go look for him as we look for a way out."

"We have to hurry." Midorima nodded as he helped Kuroko up. Although the question remains... "Which tunnel should we take?" They were at a crossroad between one tunnel and another.

Kuroko looked between the two with some distress. Which should they choose? One could lead outside and the other could lead into an endless maze... "They said taking the right in mazes will almost always get you to the end right?"

"I'll trust your instincts then." It's not like they have much of a choice. Its either one or the other but the problem is that neither of them knew which was the right one, and so they took the right one.

The two headed down the right tunnel, looking around in the darkness, listening for any danger. "I wish we had a light of some kind…" Kuroko murmured, feeling a bit frightened at being in the dark, blind to anything that might be heading towards them.

Although Midorima didn't answer, Kuroko knew he felt the same. Who wouldn't be? There could be a monster up ahead and they wouldn't know it until it had them pinned down with its teeth.

They walked for who knows how long until they saw a light in the distance. The two got excited when they thought about what it could mean. Most likely freedom from the forever going tunnels. They picked up the pace and ran towards the light. However when they reached the end, they couldn't feel disappointment when they found out it's not a way out. All they felt was both shock and fear.

It was a large open space that was filled with these weird looking shapes everywhere. The reason why Kuroko saw them as shapes is because not all of them were round or flat. They were just... random. But to make it worse, there were monsters everywhere.

There were so many of these weird looking objects that Midorina couldn't even count them all. They were everywhere! What's more, the monsters weren't alerted by Kuroko's and Midorima's presence at all. On the contrary, they were doing what they were doing before they came and by the looks of it, the monsters seemed to be sorting out the strange objects.

As Midorima looked around, he couldn't help but be afraid. Not because of the monsters but because of what he thought the place might be. "I-Its... a nest."

"A nest? For those monsters?" Kuroko asked. He sure hoped it wasn't. "Then... do you think those things they're sorting are...?" They weren't breeding right? There were enough monsters already, they didn't need more! "Wait, sorting?" They were actually sorting things out? They weren't evolving... right?

"It seems so." Midorima didn't know what to say. He was as much frightened and confused as Kuroko was. If the creatures really evolved and are breeding then... they would take over the world completely. There would be no chance for humanity to make a comeback.

Midorima tried to focus on the strange objects the monsters were moving but the longer he looked; the more the objects resembled... cocoons? He grabbed Kuroko's hand and carefully but quietly approached the closest object to them. They hid behind the object but were close enough to it to see and examine it.

Midorima touched the huge round thing but when he did, slime started sticking to his hand. Never the less, he rubbed it off only to see something horrifying inside. Both Kuroko and Midorima gasped in shock when they saw a face of a human being inside the... cocoon.

"It's not a monster inside... Why is it..?" Kuroko could only stare at the face of a stranger he never knew. Were they dead? Why were they being held like this?

"Food... It's food being stored.." Kuroko suddenly said. He remembered about a month ago when they were in that lab and Kise got injured by a monster. The monster said something about food for later. "They're wrapping them up and putting them away like storage."

Midorima looked away, not being able to look at the face of the man inside the cocoon. "That's the most probable theory but remember that we know absolutely nothing about these creatures. It may be for other purposes as well." At this time they have to take all of the theories into consideration.

Kuroko and Midorima both flinched when they noticed uproar amongst the creatures. Some started roaring while some were giving out weird sounds. However, from where they stood, Midorima and Kuroko couldn't see them clearly so they decided to move to another place where they could watch from afar.

They moved behind another cocoon and now had a better view of what was happening down below. The nest was sorted out into floors. Kuroko and Midorima were currently on the second or third floor while the monsters started gathering on the ground floor. The two were observing the creatures but didn't miss a cave that was there as well. Perhaps some sort of an exit?

Kuroko and Midorima watched as finally two monsters appeared from within the cave, carrying something on their back. Both of them froze when they noticed that the beasts were carrying an unconscious Akashi who was lying down on one of the monsters backs, while the other creatures around roared.

"They have Akashi-kun." If they had Akashi, did that mean Murasakibara didn't make it to him? Kuroko couldn't tear his eyes away from the redhead being carried. "Midorima-kun, what do we do?" He asked, feeling panic fill him all over again.

"I don't know." Midorima was at a loss as well. If they go down then they would be wide in the open, the monsters would surely see them there and attack. Not to mention that there is such a large number of them that Kuroko and Midorima wouldn't stand a chance at all.

"Are they going to place him into a cocoon as well?" Midorima wondered as the monsters carried Akashi to the center where the monster lay down with Akashi still on him. The surrounding monsters came closer as they all started sniffing and licking the redhead.

Kuroko looked away from the sight; afraid that he'd see them start to tear into flesh. "Are they going to eat him? We can't just let him die like this..." He probably didn't get any chance to fight back since he was both chained and weak.

Even though Kuroko looked away, Midorima couldn't. He watched as the monsters licked and sniffed at Akashi but then suddenly Midorima noticed something strange. Akashi's hand moved and pat one of the monsters on the head. Was he imagining things?

The doctor wasn't sure because they were facing Akashi's back so they couldn't see if he was conscious or not. Time to move to a better spot. "Let's move." Midorima told the other as they both quietly moved to a better place they could observe from.

Kuroko just followed Midorima since he didn't trust himself to navigate their way through this... nest. It was such a weird thing to think. These monsters were probably evolving. If this continued, the human race really will be wiped out.

As they sneaked around, Kuroko couldn't help but look at all the faces inside the weird cocoons. It was distraction from watching the scene down below. He didn't want to look down and see Akashi devoured. But as he kept looking at the faces, he suddenly stopped. It couldn't be...

He turned course and quietly headed over to one of the cocoons. He didn't stop even when Midorima told him to come back before they got spotted. It just couldn't be. Kuroko wouldn't believe it. He kneeled down beside the trapped human and just barely held back from crying (from relief or sadness, he didn't know). He said he always wanted to see his parents again, but not like this.

Kuroko was at a loss for words as he stared at the bodies of his parents wrapped in two cocoons, placed right next to each other. The tears started pouring down Kuroko's face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. No! This couldn't be the truth... His parents are still alive! They're alive...

The bluenette couldn't hold it in as he screamed in frustration for everyone to hear. Not caring about the monsters down below who were alerted of his presence due to the ear-piercing scream. The monsters all looked up and were about to see who dares to disturb their nest when a voice stopped them. They all turned towards the redhead who shook his head, looking up at Kuroko's direction with a smirk on his face.

Midorima was surprised by Kuroko's scream as well, hurrying up to the bluenette's side. "Kuroko! We can't stay here, they already know we're here."

"No! I don't want to leave them, not when they're still alive!" There had to be something he could do. Could he try to break the cocoon? He placed his hands on it and ignored the icky slime. He tried tearing it, which wasn't very easy with the slime. As he tried breaking it, he noticed something in his father's hands. A phone? No it was too big to be a phone. Maybe a book? He looked closer and noticed it was a tablet. Now why would he hold onto this of all things instead of protecting himself?

Kuroko took the tablet out and pressed the switch button. Surprisingly the tablet was still in working condition, but he didn't care about that at all. Kuroko resumed digging into the cocoon, trying to free his parents from it, however, when Midorima noticed something horrifying, he stopped the bluenette by restraining him from the back. "Don't Kuroko, you'll kill them!"

Kuroko had struggled until Midorima said "kill". "What..? How?" He asked with confusion and fear. Did he almost kill his own parents? "What do you mean kill?"

When Kuroko stopped trashing around, Midorima let him go. The doctor clenched his fists before pointing to the hole Kuroko made in his father's cocoon. When Kuroko saw it, all he could do was stare in shock. His father's hand... the one he had freed from the cocoon was starting to rot away. All of the flesh on the hand had disappeared, only the bones remained. However, while his hand was eroded, the rest of his body that was protected by the cocoon remained the same. It's as if the cocoons are the only means of keeping them preserved, as if they were still alive.

So he couldn't even save them? How cruel was that? "I can't.. save them?" Kuroko said with disbelief. He finally found his parents, alive but trapped, and the only way to save them ends up being the cause of their death? Kuroko crawled back to the cocoon and gently placed his hand on it. "I'm sorry.. I can't.."

Midorima could do nothing as Kuroko cried beside his parents dead bodies. But then it occurred to him... What if his parents share the same fate? Would they be in here? Or... could there be a nest like this in Kyoto where his parents would be? Its either that or they were already gone... eaten away. Midorima couldn't believe he would think this but after seeing these cocoons he wished that his parents would have suffered a quick and painful death instead.

Kuroko couldn't look away from his parents as he cried on. He knew he shouldn't be acting do vulnerable especially since he's in a nest that belongs to those monsters, but then again, what is he even living for? To stop the apocalypse? At this rate, nothing will be able to stop these monsters. He just isn't right for this task.

It was like he was gone from reality because he didn't even notice when Aomine and Kise suddenly appeared, carrying Takao much to Midorima's relief. If he were paying attention, he'd ask how they got there and if they were alright. But he wasn't paying attention. Even when he felt someone desperately shake his shoulder, it took him a few moments to slowly turn his head towards that person. Aomine looked like he was speaking worriedly towards him, but Kuroko didn't hear. He just looked past Aomine and saw...

Suddenly falling back into reality, he shot up which startled Aomine. He was confused about when Aomine and the others got here, but his main focus was Imayoshi and his partner, Hanimaya, standing not too far away from them, watching.

"Hoo~ Look what we have here~" Imayoshi mused, pointing Akashi's gun towards the group. "I thought you would have died by now. Lady luck is really on your side."

Everyone didn't move once they saw the gun. It frustrated Aomine the most because he would like to do nothing but hurt the person who put everyone through this hell journey.

"What are you doing here?" Kuroko asked once he found his voice. "How did you even find us?"

"Haha! Coincidence can be quite scary sometimes." Imayoshi released the safety on the gun. "Now, you better do as we say or you'll all get a bullet to the head. Back up." Imayoshi and Hanamiya moved a step forward while the group moved back. Now the two were standing beside the cocoons of Kuroko's parents. "Look! These ones are broken." Hanamiya turned to look at the two cocoons, noticing the rotten hand.

"These things are keeping these people alive."

"Hmm~ So they are cocoons after all. They're preserving the food, keeping it fresh until its time to eat. Quite clever if I may say so." Imayoshi approached the two cocoons, observing them while pointing the gun towards the group.

Kuroko felt anxious as Imayoshi approached his parents. What was he going to do? He couldn't just let him get so close. He looked at the gun before taking a step forward. "So you're just going to kill us here?"

"Don't test your luck and stay there Kuroko-kun. I don't want to kill you but I will if necessary." Imayoshi now returned his attention onto the group. "We can't waste precious resources can we?"

"What are you talking about psychopath!?" Aomine took a step forward to stand next to Kuroko, but it only made Imayoshi wary.

"Haha! I really can't believe you people are so dumb! Is the redhead the only one who has brains in this group?" Imayoshi cracked up in laughter. "I'll tell you then. We'll eat you. Its as simple as that."

Eat? The word ran through everyone's mind. They were there to be eaten? "Cannibals.." Kuroko heard Kise mutter under his breath. At that word, Kuroko remembered that one exploration with Imayoshi before all this happened. He had been telling Kuroko about this group he found that actually hunted and ate other people for food.

"You... Why? They are survivors too!" Kuroko said, taking another step. "Why would you kill them like that? To eat them? That's not right, it's.. it's sick!"

"It may be sick to you but to us it isn't. Isn't it nice to have a good meal once in a while?" Remembering that time Imayoshi took Kuroko to the kitchen to show it to him there... Now that he thought about it, he was really close to eating the meat and it made him sick.

"I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it and I don't care. Just stay there like good little stock you are." Imayoshi turned towards the cocoons again. "But for now, let's see what happens if we destroy these things completely." He said as he pushed his leg into one of the cocoons, creating a huge hole it in.

"No!" Kuroko tried to rush forward but he stopped when the gun was pointed at him again. "Please, don't destroy them! You have no reason to. They just rot, you won't be able to eat them if you wanted to!"

"Haha! You really think we would eat something this disgusting? Look at the old hag inside! You really think I would eat something as gross as that?" Imayoshi laughed, pointing at Kuroko's mother while creating more holes in the cocoon. "Let's see what happens when we break it!"

"Stop!" Both distress and anger filled Kuroko. He finally found his parents but he couldn't free them. Then this person, the very person who tricked him, comes along and starts killing his parents. Kuroko wasn't one to get angry but something like this was definitely crossing the line.

He rushed forward again and didn't stop when the gun was aimed at him again. He wasn't just going to sit around and let someone kill his parents.

Kuroko was sure Imayoshi was going to shoot. He knew he was acting like his friend, especially since Akashi warned him. Imayoshi wouldn't hesitate to shoot... except he did. He seemed startled because once Kuroko moved forward, he just vanished. He just stared in disbelief until he felt someone tackle him. Since Kuroko wasn't strong enough to knock someone down with a punch or kick, using his whole body weight should do the trick. Which it did because Imayoshi fell down with Kuroko on top of him, knocking the gun in his hands onto the ground. "I told you to leave them alone you sick bastard!"

Hanamiya hurriedly reached for the gun but was stopped by Aomine and Kise who threw themselves on him, "it's over! You lost!" Aomine managed to say as he tackled the other. While Aomine and Kise were taking care of Hanamiya, Kuroko struggled against Imayoshi. "Hahaha! Could it be that you know these people?" Imayoshi's face twisted into that of utter amusement, like that of a madman. "Perfect! I'll have you watch as I rip their bodies to shreds!"

"You're insane." Kuroko hissed under his breath. "How would you feel if I rip you apart instead!? I'll feed whatever is left to those monsters. Maybe it'll be considered cannibalism to them because you're nothing but a monster like them."

Imayoshi hissed as he hit Kuroko with his elbow, pushing him away and onto the ground. The other quickly stood up and ran towards the gun, picking it up. "I'll make sure to eat every last bone of your corpse." Imayoshi licked his lips before firing the gun.

Kuroko heard someone yell don't but he couldn't figure out who said it. He had closed his eyes and waited for the bullet to kill him. Except, shouldn't have killed him already? He opened his eyes in time to see Takao fall in front of him, a bullet wound on his forehead. It had been Midorima who shouted don't earlier, Kuroko realized. He must've been keeping Takao out of the fight but he couldn't stop him in time from saving Kuroko.

Everyone was frozen with shock for just a few seconds, even Imayoshi. Then the first person to move was Kuroko. He didn't realize he was moving until he saw Imayoshi quickly trying to aim at him. Luckily he had reacted poorly and Kuroko managed to attack him a second time. As they fell again, Kuroko realized they weren't just going to fall onto the ground. They were going to fall onto the ground floor of the nest.

The two fell down together but instead of a hard fall, the two fell on one of the cocoons, which softened their fall. However, even though they fell down, the two still struggled and fought. Imayoshi pushed Kuroko away as they both got down from the cocoon. "It's over." Imayoshi aimed the gun towards Kuroko and this time Kuroko knew that it would be the end.

He closed his eyes but instead of a gunshot he should have heard, he heard roars instead. Kuroko opened his eyes again and was horrified to see countless monsters before him. About five of them were surrounding Imayoshi and eating him alive, the piercing screams could be heard throughout the nest before it suddenly stopped.

However, that wasn't what had surprised Kuroko at all. What did was Akashi who was standing in front of the bluenette with two monsters standing beside him and many more behind him. He had his hands placed on the monster's heads, patting them while facing Kuroko.

"..A-Akashi-kun..?" Kuroko stared up at the other and immediately noticed the gold eye. It was the golden eye again! "The monsters.. they aren't attacking?" And why did Akashi seem like he didn't fear them? It was simple. It's because he doesn't. Not at all. "Why?.."

Akashi smiled, "They wouldn't attack me. On the contrary, they'll do anything in order to protect me." Akashi let go of one of the creatures that stood beside him as it walked over to Kuroko. It growled at Kuroko as it surrounded him, watching him carefully. "They're wary of you and they have a reason to be. You're a really intriguing person Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Me? Intriguing?" Kuroko asked with confusion. "And wait. Why are they protecting you? They eat people..." Kuroko thought back to Akashi's tattoo that looked like the monster's tattoo. So they did have some kind of link after all?

Akashi's smile widened, "They do but there's nothing wrong with that. You're also eating other animals so why are humans any better?" The monster beside Kuroko growled, "As for why they're protecting me, isn't it natural that a pack would protect its leader? Or better say parent."

"Parent?" Akashi had to be joking. There's no way he created these monsters... Kuroko quickly got up, trying not to seem scared by the monster growling next to him. "So what? You're going to make your "pack" kill me then your group? Were we all even a group to you?"

"So foolish. Humans are really foolish." Akashi approached Kuroko with the monsters following him. "No matter how much of a monster you think I am, I won't do that. I'll help you get out. You and the group."

"Help us out? Why? Why help us when you have a pack of monsters at your feet?" Kuroko asked. It didn't make any sense at all to him. "I wasn't even with the group the whole time yet you'd help me too?"

"I'm puzzled as to why you think so ill of me. I didn't do anything to earn your anger. Is it human nature?" Akashi wondered as another monster walked up to Kuroko. By now he was surrounded with no chance of escaping. "Wasn't it just a few days ago that we slept together in the same bed? When your face became red due to my touches?" Akashi took another step forward until he was standing before Kuroko, "Even though I didn't do anything, you choose to hate me."

A monster beside Akashi whined before Akashi pat it, "I thought you would be different but in the end you're the same. All humans are the same."

Kuroko looked between Akashi and the monster before looking down. Even though Akashi was saying he was basically the parent of all these monsters... He didn't necessarily hate him. He did help Kuroko a lot of times. What did he do? He lead him and his group into danger. Akashi wouldn't have endured all that torturing if he didn't care for the group.

"I don't hate you... and I'm not saying that to save my skin. You have been kind to me and I've been nothing but useless to you. Yet you kept me in the group. And you risked so much for your group. You might be the... leader of all these monsters, but I can't bring myself to hate you. I really am naive aren't I?"

Akashi smiled as he put his hand on Kuroko's cheek, "I'm glad you don't hate me because I'm quite fond of you. Both I and these children. I know you can hear it. These children's voices."

"So you didn't think I was crazy when Aomine-kun told you?" Now that he thought about it, Akashi didn't say any negative things about it. He actually said it was probably common and shouldn't be looked into. "I do though... And I'm guessing you did too, this whole time?"

"I did but I hid it. What would the others think of me if I told them? We both know how they reacted when you told them." When Kuroko told them, they thought he was mentally deranged. "You have a gift they don't have." Akashi raised his other hand up to Kuroko's cheek, cupping his face. "I believe you. I always have."

"So.. you didn't kick me out because of that? Is that the only reason?" Kuroko asked. He was honestly curious. He raised his hand, placing it over Akashi's. He didn't bother to remove it yet. "Is that why you find me interesting?"

Akashi smiled yet again, "I let you stay because I thought you were different, not like other humans. You're honest, kind, brave and have a gift. You're special Tetsuya and you have yet to realize it." One monster that stood beside Kuroko leaned on him and brushed off against him, as if silently telling him that they mean no harm.

"Everything doesn't have to be so black and white. Let's change the world Tetsuya, you and I together."

Kuroko looked down at the monster with awe. He had to admit, it was amazing to see the monster's like this. They kind of reminded him of some kind of pet. Just a big dangerous exotic pet. He reached out cautiously and touched its head. He softly petted it and looked at Akashi again. "For the better, right? We'll fix everything?"

Akashi nodded, letting go of Kuroko's face. "We'll make everything right again." He extends his hand for Kuroko to take. Kuroko looked at Akashi's hand before rising up his own. This was surely the right choice and the only way to save mankind.

However, before Kuroko could shake Akashi's hand, a loud voice interrupted them. "Don't do it Kuro-chin!" Akashi and Kuroko were both startled, turning to the side to see Murasakibara who emerged from one of the caves. The monsters around them immediately growled but when Akashi told them off, they stopped with a whine.

Murasakibara didn't hesitate to walk through the monsters and up to Kuroko and Akashi. "Don't let him deceive you Kuro-chin. He's lying."

"Lying?" Kuroko looked up at him with confusion then frustration. "And can you prove that he is? Why should I even believe you? You hated me for no reason when I joined the group. I tried my best to get to know you, but you kept walking away."

"T-That's..." Murasakibara clenched his fists, "That doesn't matter. You can't trust him at all. That's not the Aka-chin you know." Murasakibara stressed as his and Akashi's eyes met.

"Who else would I be? Could it be that you're imagining things?" Akashi's words only made Murasakibara clench his fists more. "You've never trusted Tetsuya so why should he trust you?"

"Because..." He looked up at Kuroko. "Please Kuro-chin... Look at his eye. Aka-chin doesn't have a golden eye."

Kuroko did glance at Akashi's eye. He already knew it had been there, but then again, he didn't know why. He wanted to know. He was tired of being confused. He backed up a little, shaking his head. "Please, stop. Everyone's always confusing me! I never know who to believe anymore! I just want to fix how things are and find a way to keep everyone in the group alive! Takao-kun's already dead! I don't want to lose anyone because of some naive decision."

Takao died? Murasakibara and Akashi were both shocked and surprised by the revelation. How did he die? Who killed him? Akashi was the first to speak up, "That's what I wanted from the very beginning. To keep everyone safe."

"It's not you who wanted that but Aka-chin." Murasakibara pointed out, earning a glare from Akashi. "I am Akashi Seijuro."

"No you're not and we both know it."

Kuroko looked between the two, torn on who to believe. Should he believe the person who always believed in him and want to change the world for the greater good (not to mention that he also has a whole army of man eating monsters!) Or should he believe the person who always hated him for no reason? "Akashi-kun... please tell me. What do you care for the most at this very moment?"

Care for the most? "Saving the group and getting everyone out of here safe and sound." But when Akashi said it, Murasakibara approached him and grabbed his shoulders. "That's not true! What you want is destruction and nothing else!" The giant raised his voice at the redhead as the creatures surrounding them began to growl, before Akashi told them off.

"You may think I'm not Akashi but despite that, I won't leave you or let these children kill you. After all, I want to save everyone. Including you." Akashi smirked as Murasakibara clenched his teeth in frustration.

Kuroko slowly walked up to the two. He still didn't know who to believe, but he didn't want anyone to get hurt in a fight. "Akashi-kun, I'll believe you if you can turn your eye back to red. Your eye used to be red and I kind of like that color better than gold. Can you do that real quick? For me?" He asked.

Murasakibara nodded, wanting the same. "If your eye isn't red then you're not Aka-chin." Murasakibara said, earning another glare from the redhead. "I can't change my eye color willingly Tetsuya. It changes on its own, I can't control it."

"Really? That's too bad.." Kuroko murmured, not knowing what to do now. If this really wasn't the real Akashi, how else could he change to normal? "Do you really trust me?" He asked Akashi before looking at Murasakibara. "What about you? Do you?"

"I trust you." Akashi said without hesitation while Murasakibara hesitated. "I didn't do anything to earn Kuro-chin's trust but I need Kuro-chin to believe me. I want to save Aka-chin from... everything."

Kuroko didn't say anything, as if he's thinking hard. Then he started walking forward, the monster's parting. He stopped at where Imayoshi died; there wasn't any sign of him left. He ignored that thought and reached down for Akashi's gun. He could feel how the monsters became wary but he knew (or at least hoped) they wouldn't attack. He walked back to the two. "Would either of you shoot me and betray me? Would you stab me in the back if I prove distrustful?"

They both stared at Kuroko in confusion. What was the other doing? "You would already be dead if I so wished. Isn't that enough of a proof?" Akashi was wary but also surprised to what extend Kuroko would go. Murasakibara shook his head, meaning that he wouldn't shoot Kuroko or stab him.

"I see..." Kuroko said. He started walking towards Akashi, keeping the gun down so the other knew he wouldn't shoot. He even pocketed it so Akashi wouldn't call his monsters. He raised his hands and placed them on Akashi's cheeks, making him look at him. "I'm glad you trust me then." He said before quickly leaning up and placed a kiss on Akashi's lips.

Akashi's eyes widened as Kuroko's lips found their way to his own. He was taken completely by surprise and couldn't react fast enough when he felt a small shock pass though his body. Akashi closed his eyes as his golden eye was slowly losing its colour, returning back to crimson red.

Kuroko peeked a little and was happy to know that his eye was returning to normal. His plan worked! Once the eye was completely red again, he quickly broke the kiss and got behind Akashi. He grasped one of his arms and took out his gun, pointing it to the side of Akashi's head. "Please, don't freak out," Kuroko whispered. "Trust me please."

Murasakibara watched with wide eyes as everything unfolded before him. He looked Kuroko into the eyes and saw the determination in them. If he wanted Kuroko to trust him, then he'll have to trust back, even if it's Akashi's life that is at stake.

Murasakibara nodded as the monsters around them all roared in alert. They were all ready to jump on the bluenette but couldn't because their leader was in danger. All they could do was surround them and growl, while some whined.

Akashi's hazy eyes soon began to open as he noticed the situation. "W-Where...?"

"It's a nest." Kuroko answered softly. "A nest filled with those monsters, so don't freak out." He looked towards Murasakibara and gave him a look to come closer. They can't attack Kuroko since he has Akashi, but that doesn't mean they might not attack Murasakibara.

It was a good thing he called Murasakibara over because soon Akashi had trouble standing. Murasakibara helped keep Akashi up while Kuroko still held the gun at him. It must be because of the wounds he received from the torturing. Speaking of torturing... He looked up at the second level, seeing Aomine, Kise, and Hanimaya watching over the edge. Midorima was no where to be seen. "Should we call them down?" He asked Murasakibara. "There's someone up there we need to get rid of."

The giant shook hie head, "Let's go up. Mido-chin needs us." Also... they would like to say their goodbyes to Takao…

"You're right.." Kuroko needed to pay his respects to Takao. If it wasn't for him, he'd be dead right now. Kuroko slowly stepped back, making sure Akashi stayed upright. "Are you alright Akashi-kun?"

Akashi flinched as they moved, pain filling up his entire body. "I-I'll... manage... for everyone..." And with the help of Kuroko and Murasakibara, the three slowly made it up to the first floor and then the second. Although, they were followed by the creatures who were unwilling to let them leave their sights. Some of them drooled while some growled and it was enough to frighten both Kuroko and Murasakibara.

Once they made it to the second floor, Kuroko spotted Midorima beside Takao's body. It looked like he didn't want to leave his side any time soon. Then he remembered that Akashi had no idea Takao was dead and gently grabbed his arm again. "Akashi-kun.. please prepare yourself."

Prepare? Akashi glanced at Kuroko in confusion before looking at Aomine and Kise and... the person who had tortured him. Then he looked over to the right and saw Midorima with Takao who was... laying down? But then he saw it, Takao had a small hole in his head which meant that someone shot him.

Midorima was laying down next to the raven head, his motionless body tightly in his arms. "Takao... Takao..." Midorima was a crying mess, not registering that Kuroko and the rest had come to them. Not to mention an entire army of monsters that surrounded them, waiting to jump up and eat them.

Kuroko watched Midorima for a moment before looking away. This was his fault, there was no doubt about that. He looked towards Hanimaya, practically glaring at the other. It's not like he had anywhere to run with the monster's surrounding them, but he might have a hidden weapon. However Kuroko doubted it because if he did, he could've used it when Aomine and Kise were distracted. He could even use it on Midorima if he wanted to. "What should we do with him?" Kuroko asked Murasakibara once more.

The giant looked over at Hanamiya with a glare, frightening the other. "Get rid of him~"

"He's the one who tortured Akashi-kun. Would you like to do the honors?" Kuroko asked. Even though he loathed Hanimaya for torturing Akashi, he didn't feel like he was the right man for the job.

Once Murasakibara found out it was this man who had tortured Akashi, he didn't hesitate to step forward and walk up to him, hovering above Hanamiya who was scared for his life. "P-Please I'm defenceless." Hanamiya pleaded but Murasakibara wasn't convinced. The giant put his hand on Hanamiya's head, however, before he could do anything a faint voice stopped him.

"N-No... Don't!" Akashi used all of his strength to raise his voice so that Murasakibara would hear him. He panted in pain, looking up. "Don't... kill... him…"

"But he's the one who nearly killed you." Kuroko said with a frown. "He wouldn't hesitate to kill you, why do you hesitate?"

Akashi weakly moved his hand and placed it over Kuroko's that was on his shoulder, while his other hand still held the gun to Akashi's head. "I.. don't want you... or anyone else... in this group... to lose themselves... Don't lose your humanity... Don't become a monster... Don't have... blood on your hands."

Kuroko looked at Akashi before looking down. Akashi was right. They shouldn't stoop down to their level, no matter how much they deserve it. They wouldn't be any better than the monster's who are surrounding them. "Murasakibara-kun, don't kill him. We'll let him go."

Murasakibara still had his hand on Hanamiya's head, squeezing it slightly before letting go. Aomine and Kise who were restraining the man, sighed in relief. Even though they weren't the ones being 'crushed', they were standing beside Hanamiya and the sight of Murasakibara before them was frightening enough.

"We're kind enough to let you go, so you better not come back." Kuroko said to Hanimaya. "If you try anything or come back to mess with us, I won't hesitate to shoot."

Aomine and Kise let go of Hanamiya who looked up at Kuroko. "O-Of course... but you know..." He looked around but there wasn't even an escape route for him to pass through. "We're surrounded so I have no means of getting out of here." Looks like they're all stuck together for a while longer.

"Takao... Takao..." Midorima was a crying mess. Even though they didn't see his face because he was bent down, they knew that it was full of tears.

Kuroko looked towards Midorima and sighed. He glanced at Hanimaya with a glare. "I meant forever. Not just now." He said before leading Akashi over to Takao carefully since the other was still wounded. They shouldn't stay for too long otherwise the monster's may get jumpy whether Akashi was held captive or not.

With Kuroko still holding the gun up to his head, Akashi knelt down beside Midorima. "We have... to go..." Akashi whispered but the doctor didn't respond at all. Akashi put his hand on Midorima's shoulder in hopes of getting his attention. "Midorima... we have..." Akashi stressed but this time he thankfully did get a response.

Midorima slowly sat up, revealing his swollen face and the many tears that were on it. Akashi didn't know what to say as he pushed himself to the limits to reach out to Midorima, hugging the other. While Midorima cried, the others also took a moment to say goodbyes to their dear friend. They went through many things together, both harsh and good but now... it was time to part ways.

Midorima cried and cried until there were no more tears to cry. He slowly calmed down before pushing himself off the redhead. "I'm sorry for holding the group back."

"No... need to apologize... we have to go." Akashi slowly stood up with Kuroko's support, while Midorima did the same.

"So what now? What do we do?" Aomine had no idea what they would do with the monsters surrounding them on all sides.

Kuroko looked around, trying to see if there was a way out. There had to be a way out... He noticed in the distance there was another tunnel passageway, but this one had light coming out of it. A way out? "Did anyone come through there? If not, maybe that's a way out." He said before glancing back at Takao. They shouldn't leave him here to be eaten, right? "Midorima-kun... do you want to leave him here?"

"No. I want to give him a proper burial." Midorima knelt next to Takao again and tried to pick him up, although he could pick him up, his shaking hands could hardly hold him. Murasakibara noticed this and went up to the doctor, gently taking Takao and carrying him bridal style. Midorima nodded in gratitude as the group slowly began making its way to the tunnel.

As they began walking, Kuroko kept looking at the monster's surrounding them and the cocoons... "Before we go.." He stopped and looked at the group. "Can I.. say goodbye to my parents..?"

Akashi nodded as Kise took over Kuroko's position.

Kuroko was glad they let him do this and carefully went back to where his parents were. He stared sadly at the small hole in his mother's cocoon, watching the skin on her back start to rot. He wished he could help but there was nothing he could do.

Since he wasn't a man of many words, he just silently said words in his mind, much like what he did for Ogiwara. At least he had the pendant and now the tablet from them. But then he realized something else. They didn't have their weapons. Ogiwara's weapon was still in his bag all the way at the enemy base.

He got up, looked at his parents a final time, then turned back towards the group. This time he won't sulk and feel pitiful for himself. It was impossible to keep everyone alive, but that didn't mean he couldn't save anyone. He had to make sure these people didn't die in vain. "We need to get out of here." He said to the group once he returned. "We need to find a safe place to heal Akashi-kun and... properly take care of Takao-kun."

Everyone agreed but before they could resume their journey, Aomine stopped them. "Ah! I almost forgot." He took his backpack off his shoulders and ruffled through it. Although he already had some items outside of the bag because they were too big to put in. "Catch." Aomine threw the crossbow at Kuroko before handing everyone else their weapons as well. "Kise and I found these on our way here."

Kuroko looked at his crossbow with relief. He was glad that Aomine saved at least this. "Thank you Aomine-kun. You're a real life saver." Now they all felt a bit more confident and less vulnerable. Plus they had weapons to use against the monster's (or Hanimaya) if they so choose to attack.

The group left for the tunnel with Hanamiya in tow. The raven head had nothing to do but follow them since the monsters surrounded them and watched their every move. Finally they made it to the tunnel with the monsters following them. However, when they finally reached the sunlight, the monsters stopped in their steps, not daring to venture out any further.

The group walked and walked until finally fresh air hit them and the sun rays shone on them. Finally! They were out and free again.

Kuroko took a deep breath. He missed freedom so much but he was sure the others missed it more. They hadn't been outside since they got captured. Especially Akashi. He had been alone except when Hanimaya tortured him or when Kuroko visited him. He looked over at Hanimaya before at the rest of the group. "Should we just let him go?" He decided to ask Akashi this time. He was the leader after all.

"Yes." Kise helped Akashi turn around to face Hanamiya. "We're letting... you go... go before we... change our mind..." Even though Hanamiya was unharmed, the group was still wary, preparing their weapons should he make a move. Hanamiya stood in place, watching the group before closing his eyes. "Heh! You people are really naive." He said before turning around and walking away.

Aomine and Kise watched Hanamiya leave while Midorima approached Akashi. "I'll give you first aid, but we need to find a safe place." Akashi nodded, "I'll lead you... to the vehicle."

"I can help again." Kuroko offered and went to Akashi's side to help Kise carry the other. "I don't think we should stay here long. It's not safe. Those creatures will probably start looking for us once night comes."

"Yeah and something tells me they'll be much more desperate this time." Aomine gave Akashi a look but the other only gave a look of confusion. Everybody was confused but this wasn't the time nor place to talk. Kuroko was right, they had to get out of here.

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 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** it seems to glitch every week now... :c uh anyway, please enjoy. We really tried hard ;3;

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello everyone :) Thank you so much for reading the chapter :D A lot has happened and there are many more mysteries to go XD I just want to stress that it took us days to write this chapter and the story so we weren't always in the best mood to write (you know the feeling when u just feel lazy to do anything? XD yh, that :() Thank you so much for the review and I really hope this chapter met your expectations *nervous* please let us know how it went *nervous* See you next week :) *nervous, nervous and nervous* plz review...

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	13. File 13

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

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Kuroko was the first one to lead the group back to his house. Since Akashi wasn't as familiar with Tokyo, they had to have Kuroko guide them before Akashi could orient himself from there. When they arrived to Kuroko's house they made a stop there to see if any of their supplies were still there but as expected, there weren't any.

Knowing they're not safe in the house anymore, the group made their way to the vehicle Akashi found. The redhead led the way until they finally arrived to a huge skyscraper that was in the city center. Back in its day, it used to be a business center but now it's a ruin.

Akashi led them inside into the parking lot, stopping at a van that was parked at the end. "This is it." Akashi reached out his hand towards his backpack, which Aomine handed to him. He looked through the bag, taking a knife in his hand and ripping the bag inside, revealing a secret compartment. He took out the keys and unlocked the huge van.

"I hope we can find some supplies on the way to our next stop." Kuroko said with a sigh. Then he paused with a frown. "Wait... we don't have the device yet. We can't leave until we find it..." Should they just leave Tokyo and come back? Should they take their chances and try to find it now?

"Ah~" Murasakibara took his own backpack and ruffled through it, revealing something purple and small in size to the group. The object was completely the same as the one they found back in Kyoto! The only difference was its color! "I found this in a cave and thought it could be it~"

Kuroko felt like collapsing from relief but he stayed up. "Test it out. Bring it close." He said. He watched Murasakibara come closer and sure enough, Kuroko felt his pendant react. Both objects glowed bright once they were close enough before Kuroko's pendant fell on his chest again. "This is it alright. Now we can finally leave this place."

"Finally!" Aomine jumped up, opened the doors and hopped up into the drivers seat. "Leave it to me, I'll get us out." He started examining the many items in the van before Kise hit him. 'Oi!"

"Do you even know how to drive?" Kise asked. "You might crash us all!"

Kuroko glanced towards Akashi and Midorima. "Do any of you guys know how to drive?" They seemed the most likely. However even if Akashi could drive, Kuroko wouldn't let him. He needs to rest.

"I do~" Murasakibara put up his hand, stopping the two idiots from fighting. "No way! I'm a skilled driver! I'll drive!" Aomine insisted, earning another hit from Kise, but it's not like Aomine didn't fight back.

Akashi sighed beside Midorima who supported him to stand up. Even though the doctor suggested he give him first aid, Akashi didn't think that was necessary right now, "Midorima." Akashi said, grabbing the greenhead's attention. Akashi's expression was that of sadness as well as Midorima's who lowered his head.

"Let's do it." Akashi turned to look at Takao's body that was seated down. They couldn't do anything before taking care of this first. They had to say their farewells before the sun sets. The sooner they do it, the better for everyone. It only reminds them of the loss they sustained.

"Where should we bury him?" Kuroko asked, looking at Midorima. "Outside of here? My house?" Since Midorima was closest, it would be right for him to choose. "Pick any place you'd like."

"There's a hill I saw while I was looking out from Kuroko's house. Let's do it there." Midorima even went there once and was surprised by what he saw. Hopefully Takao would be able to rest there in peace.

Kuroko nodded, agreeing with Midorima. It would be a nice peaceful spot for him. He decided that Aomine and Kise should stay back with Akashi, just in case they were attacked. He would go with Midorima and Murasakibara to show them the way. Murasakibara carried Takao, and Midorima just quietly walked along. Even though Takao died to save him, Kuroko knew that Midorima felt more guilty than Kuroko did.

It took a bit to get to Kuroko's house, so it took even longer to get to the park where the hill was. Kuroko had grabbed a shovel from his shed when they passed his house so it would be easier to dig. When they got to the hill, it was quiet as Murasakibara just took the shovel and began digging. However halfway through, Midorima took it and finished the job. Kuroko only stood back to watch.

Kuroko was almost certain Midorima would cry again when Murasakibara gently lowered Takao into the ground. The taller male didn't and just watched sadly. Kuroko stood beside Midorima, silently offering him comfort. If he had flowers, he'd offer them to Midorima to put on the grave. "He won't suffer in this world any longer." He softly said to Midorima in hopes of making him feel better. It was hard to tell since the other didn't respond or give any reaction. After a few long minutes of silence, they decided to head back before it got dark.

When Kuroko, Midorima and Murasakibara got back to the van (or rv), they noticed Kise and Aomine in the front seats, trying to figure out what button does what. When they approached the back and opened the doors, they saw Akashi laying down on one of the beds, sleeping.

"Midorima-kun, do you have any supplies left to help Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked softly. He knew that Midorima might be unstable after Takao's death, so he might not be able to help Akashi completely.

"I'll see what I can do. Maybe I could help ease the pain with the items in my backpack." Midorima walked over to the sleeping Akashi and began treating him with what little he had left. It wasn't much but at least he would help somehow.

Kuroko worriedly watched Midorima treat Akashi. Murasakibara was already forcing the two out of the front so he could drive, so everyone knew that soon they'd depart.

"It's getting dark. We should figure out where everyone sleeps and stuff." Kuroko said. "Murasakibara-kun, do you think you can stay up for a while to drive? Do you need anyone else awake to make sure you stay awake?"

"Ehh~ But I don't think we should depart now Kuro-chin. Its sunset and night is coming~" Murasakibara said as he held Aomine's head in one hand, and Kise's in another. Midorima nodded in agreement, "Murasakibara is right. We should leave first thing in the morning." Midorima took the blanket off Akashi and then rolled up his bloody shirt to see the wounds on his chest.

"You said you treated him right?" Midorima asked Kuroko while ruffling through his backpack for the medical equipment.

"Yes, right after he got… tortured." Kuroko said. "I know I didn't do too good of a job. I'm not good with injuries and medicine and stuff." He apologized.

"No, its alright. If it weren't for you, Akashi wouldn't have survived for long." Midorima took out all of the tools he had, getting to work. "If you wouldn't have disinfected his wounds and bandaged them, he would have died due to blood loss and infection."

"I'm glad I did something then. Recently I've been messing up but I'm going to turn that around." Kuroko promised. "Is there anyway I can help then?"

Midorima softly smiled, "Me too." He whispered to himself so that Kuroko didn't hear. "No. Get some rest. You'll need it." They all need rest from everything that has happened. Thinking back at it now... They're lucky to still be alive.

While Midorima was treating Akashi, the rest of the group had a dilemma as to who will sleep where. "Why do I always get a couch? Can't I get the bed at least once?" Aomine complained but the giant didn't seem interested.

"We should sleep where ever is best for us so that we can have as many people sleeping on the couches or beds." It wouldn't do any good if some members of the group were so sore they couldn't fight or get up as soon as possible. "Murasakibara-kun is pretty tall. He would definitely need a bed." Kuroko said.

"Hmmm~" Murasakibara nodded.

"So then were do you suggest I sleep Tetsu?"

"The couch wouldn't be so bad. Who knows, maybe one of them can be a pull out bed." Kuroko doubted it since the vehicle wasn't that big, but it was always nice to lift the spirits with some humor.

"Really!?" Aomine went to the couch to try but as expected it didn't work. The tanned teen sighed in frustration and just let himself fall down on the couch. "Whatever, I'll sleep here." He didn't feel like arguing anymore, not at a situation like this when everyone was still coming to terms with what had just happened.

"Sorry." Kuroko said before looking at Midorima and Kise. "There's a couch left. Do you think it's possible that one of you could share the bed with Murasakibara? I don't think either of you could share a couch together…"

"I don't mind..." Kise volunteered while Midorima was busy finishing up treating Akashi. "Since we're tight on space, someone could also share the second bed with Akashi."

"But no one would fit comfortably except.." Kuroko trailed off, glancing at the sleeping Akashi. He could already feel his face heat up slightly. Could he ever sleep in the same bed with the person who had his first kiss?

"Then we're sorted." Midorima put back his medical equipment in the bag while everyone else was getting comfy. "Be carefully not to reopen his wounds in sleep." Midorima warned before going off to sleep on a couch. Hopefully they'll all be able to get some sleep. The van was big but it wasn't a house.

Kuroko looked at every one else getting into their sleeping places and frowned. He supposed it was no use asking for a switch. No one else would be able to sleep with Akashi without crushing him or fitting on the bed. He slowly went to the bed and carefully got onto the bed. He was extra careful to make sure Akashi didn't reopen his wounds.

The light that was inside the van was switched off as everyone slowly went to sleep. However, even though everyone was comfortably lying down, Kuroko couldn't help but try to calm down his red cheeks. It didn't even help that he was facing Akashi, looking at the lips that touched his own.

Would Akashi remember? If he did, what would he think of him? He woke up and had Kuroko kissing him. Now he was going to see him different! He closed his eyes tightly, trying to go to sleep to forget his embarrassment.

That was the plan, however, when Akashi moved closer to him, Kuroko didn't know what to do. His cheeks burned and his heart began to beat faster. Could it be that Kuroko has fallen for Akashi? He's never been in love before, except for a few girls confessing but that doesn't count! He never felt anything for anyone, be it boy or girl.

Figuring Akashi might be cold (and totally not an excuse to hold the other!), Kuroko placed an arm over Akashi carefully, avoiding his injuries. He laid his head closer, their noses practically touching. Even if he was unsure if he liked Akashi or not, he had to admit, that kiss felt nice.

The night was long and peaceful with Kuroko finally managing to fall asleep. Although he did fall asleep, Kuroko could hear voices...

"Back..."

"We will come..."

"Take!"

The voices were faint and distant... so much that Kuroko didn't know if they were real voices outside or just within his dreams. Unable to recognize reality from dreams…

Next morning (or rather he assumed it was morning), Kuroko slowly woke up with a small yawn. Why was it kind of dark out? Then he remembered that they were in a parking garage and sighed. He wouldn't know if it's morning or not unless he went outside...

He opened his eyes completely, looking at Akashi who was still sleeping while facing him. He had to admit, Akashi was... cute? Attractive? One of them. He was sure of it because no matter how much he tried not to look or think about him, he just couldn't keep him out of his mind after that kiss. Maybe he was just worried for Akashi's injuries? He shook his head. That was a lie and he knew it.

Maybe if he just did it again, he could forget about it? He blushed a little at the thought. It was worth a try. His hand that was still on Akashi's side carefully slid down to gently hold his hip. Was that the right thing to do? Did he already mess up? Kuroko didn't know what to do since he was never with anyone before. He was only doing what he read in most romance novels. He decided to just go for it and kiss him.

However, as Kuroko went for a kiss, Akashi slowly started waking up. The redhead slowly opened his eyes but was surprised when he saw Kuroko approaching him, going for a kiss. Kuroko opened his eyes with hesitation but he was glad he did because if he wouldn't have opened them at that second, he would have embarrassed himself way more than he did just now.

He stared at Akashi, unsure if this is reality or a dream. Then as his cheeks slowly turned red, he took his hand away from Akashi's hip and pulled it towards himself. "H-How are you feeling?"

"Better." Akashi couldn't miss the huge growing blush on Kuroko's face. He smiled softly as he raised his hand up to Kuroko's cheek, "But you don't seem too well. Your face is red again."

"I-I'm fine." Kuroko said, looking away. Did Akashi see him? Did he knew he was about to kiss him? "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, trying to change the subject. "We don't have much, but do you need a drink? Food?"

The redhead closed his eyes and tiredly moved his hand away, giving Kuroko space again. "A bit of water and bread would be good." Akashi didn't eat anything since they were captured and only drank the little water Kuroko gave him before. He didn't want to say it because they are low on supplies but he was very thirsty and hungry.

Kuroko nodded and got up, quickly fetching some food and water from their supplies. He was really worried now because they really didn't have many supplies. "Here, is this enough?" He asked once he returned. "Do you need help sitting up?"

"It's alright." Akashi assured as he slowly and carefully sat up. He took the small piece of bread and the water from Kuroko, eagerly drinking everything in one go before taking a bite out of the bread. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Just don't eat or drink too fast. I don't want you to get sick." Who knows if his stomach was able to handle it all so fast? Kuroko sat beside Akashi, watching him and making sure he doesn't rush.

"I won't." Akashi assured, taking another bite from the bread. When Kuroko heard the sounds of the couch, as if someone was moving, he looked to the side to see Aomine waking up.

Kuroko watched Aomine waking up and really did assume it was morning. Aomine wouldn't wake up at night anyway. Even if it was his shift, he'd take forever to wake up.

The tanned teen yawned while stretching himself. "Mornin Tetsu." He greeted and stood up. When Kuroko greeted him back, Akashi did the same. "Good morning."

"Mornin." However, when he greeted Akashi he was using a much lower tone while giving him a look. Aomine sighed before opening the doors, "Nature calls." And he left.

Kuroko watched the door close before looking over at Akashi. Was that tone just Aomine's usual tired morning voice or was it more? He didn't comment on it and just focused on Akashi. "Do you want to depart once everyone is up?"

"Yes, we need to get going as soon as possible." Time is precious, its always been since the apocalypse began. They cannot waste it. And luckily, not soon after Aomine, the others started waking up as well. When he woke up, Midorima came to check on Akashi's condition, which improved, but he still needed to rest.

Everyone woke up and began getting ready, however... this was their first morning with one member missing. The psychological impact was great, everybody being quiet. Now that Takao wasn't here, there won't be anyone to try to wake them up or cheer them up. Not to mention now when nobody was sure of anything anymore…

Once everyone was up, Kuroko told them the plan of leaving as soon as possible. Of course most agreed since they didn't feel like staying in Tokyo longer than necessary.

"What about supplies? Should we try gathering supplies before we leave? We never know if there will be something to raid a mile away or 100 miles away." Kise asked.

"It's not safe at all in Tokyo, even in daylight." Kuroko was also sure that no one would want to stay after yesterday. "As soon as we find a place to raid, we will stop. For now, we have to get out of Tokyo."

"We'll just have to make one stop at Kuroko's house first. Luckily the bandits didn't take the petrol so we'll take it with us." Since Akashi didn't tell them were the vehicle was, they had no need for fuel at all so they just left it at Kuroko's house with the plan of coming back for it later.

"As for the supplies, I agree with Kuroko. Tokyo isn't safe for us anymore." Not one bit safe.

Kise gave Akashi a look, much like Aomine's this morning, but he didn't say anything more. "We should go now. Some of the people from the base might've survived." Kuroko said. "And when they see a vehicle in use, they might just do anything to get it."

Everyone agreed and began getting ready to depart, although two members of the group hesitated, they got ready as well. Murasakibara climbed up to the driver's seat and put the key into the ignition, starting up the van without any problems, relieving everyone knowing that it really works.

As planned, they made their first stop at Kuroko's house, gathered the petrol cans before resuming their journey. They passed through the ruins that is the Tokyo skyscrapers and houses, reaching the highway. Tokyo slowly started disappearing from their sights into the distance as they drove through the countryside.

Kuroko couldn't help but look out the window at his hometown. Even though they've been through so much... It's still his home and he holds precious memories of his childhood in there. There's nothing left now but to go forward, he and everyone else don't have another choice but to do so.

Trying to find something to do to pass the time, Kuroko remembered about the tablet his father had. He took it out from his supplies and turned it on. For some reason, it felt amazing to have working technology again. He opened it up, glad to find that there wasn't a password. There was only one file in it.

Kuroko opened up the folder where the file was but froze when he noticed the name, which was 'Subject 4'. Subject 4... He had heard about it many times before, even when the group found the abandoned laboratory, one of the scientists on the video mentioned it. Kuroko couldn't believe it but it must be true. His parents really were involved with the experiments but how and why? What were their roles, why did they do it? For what purpose?

All these years his parents have kept it a secret from him. It couldn't be a coincidence that 'Subject 4' is the name of the file right? But why wouldn't they tell him? Lie about themselves to their own son his whole life... No, they must have had a good reason... Kuroko wanted to believe but didn't know what to believe at this point.

He opened up the file in hopes of getting some answers but frowned when a window popped up, requesting a password to be entered.

Kuroko tried putting in things from his name to everyone's name in his family. He tried his dad's wedding day, all their birthdays, everything he could think of. It wasn't password limited so he could put as many passwords as he wants without having the tablet shut down. "What could it be?" Kuroko stressed to himself as he tried more passwords.

He had put in everything he could but he had no luck. The file wouldn't open as the tablet kept rejecting Kuroko's attempts of figuring out the password. What would his father set it as? It weren't birthday dates, names or anything else he could think of. Maybe there's just something he's forgetting about but Kuroko wasn't sure what.

As he was typing in different combinations, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see that it was Aomine. "Yo~ What're you up to?" He asked as he sat down beside the bluenette who was seated at the table.

"Nothing... I'm just trying to get into a file.." Kuroko murmured. He kind of hoped Aomine wouldn't ask to see because if every one figured out that his parents were definitely connected, what would they think of him?

Aomine raised a brow, "Where did you get the tablet? You didn't have it before right?" He didn't see Kuroko having any tablet before.

"I got it from the nest." Kuroko said. "I just.. found it." He didn't look at Aomine, not wanting him to find out that he wasn't sharing all the details.

"That's pretty cool. It was just laying around?" Aomine put his arm around the bluenette, "You're really lucky Tetsu. So is there anything useful on there?"

"Not from what I could tell." Kuroko said and turned it off. He shouldn't use up all the battery because there won't be anyway to charge it again. "Must've been a business tablet. No games or anything in it." This way no one would be interested to see what's on it.

Aomine groaned, "Geez~ No games?" He leaned on the table, "And here I thought we could have some fun." Aomine looked up at the front to see Murasakibara driving with Kise sitting next to him in the seat beside, Midorima was cleaning his equipment while Akashi was sleeping.

"Hey Tetsu..." Aomine looked over at Kuroko, "Do you think we'll survive this?"

"Why do you ask?" Kuroko asked worriedly. Did Aomine think they were all going to die? Well, everyone probably did whether they wanted to or not... "I don't know... why are you asking me?"

"No reason." Aomine looked away, leaning onto the table. His eyes wandered off to look at Akashi who was sleeping before he closed them. "No reason at all."

"...Is there something you want to say?" Kuroko asked quietly. "You've been acting a little different."

Aomine tiredly scratched his head, "Nah~ I'm fine. I think I'll go hit the bed. I could use some rest." He tiredly sat up and walked over to another couch to lay on it.

Kuroko watched Aomine with hesitation. He's really been acting weird... But he didn't push it and just returned to Akashi's bed. He made sure the other was okay and that his wounds were healing. "Midorima-kun, would you like to check up on Akashi-kun?"

The doctor looked up, "Coming." He gently put the equipment he was cleaning down before walking over to the bed. He pulled off the blanket and Akashi's shirt to see the bandages. "We should change the bandages. I was thinking of doing it when Akashi wakes up so he could rest." He looked up at Kuroko. "If you want, you could help me with that later?"

"I don't mind helping. I should start learning how to properly treat someone anyway." Kuroko nodded. "I'll tell you when he wakes up."

"You didn't do so bad when you treated Akashi before. As I said, you saved his life." Midorima rolled Akashi's shirt back down and then covered him with the blanket again. "Although I don't mind having an assistant." Midorima tried not to seem down but it didn't work. He and Takao were always together; so much that he now can't do anything without him.

"You should rest as well. You look tired."

"Alright.. maybe you should too. You definitely seem tired." Kuroko didn't want to bring Takao up, but he knew that was the reason why Midorima was offering all these things and being so down.

Midorima softly smiled, putting his hand on Kuroko's arm. "Don't worry I will." Then he stood up from the bed and walked over to where he was cleaning his equipment before.

Kuroko watched Midorima before laying down carefully on the bed. He hoped everything would just be calm for a while. So much happened yesterday, they all needed a break... He closed his eyes and fell asleep once more.

When Kuroko woke up, he felt the bumps in the road as the van moved down the road. His eyes blinked, slowly waking up from sleep. However, what he didn't expect was to find two shaking hands holding onto his shoulder tightly. Kuroko tilted his head to the side to see a slightly shaking Akashi, panting and sweating in his sleep.

Kuroko woke up completely and immediately started to shake Akashi. He was careful of his wounds of course, but he was more worried about getting him awake. Was he having nightmares? "Akashi-kun, wake up!" He whispered worriedly to the other.

Akashi's eyes shot open when Kuroko started shaking him awake. He panted while his hands still shook, holding onto Kuroko's arm tightly. Their eyes met as Akashi slowly calmed down and realized what he has done. "I'm sorry." He let go of Kuroko's arm, moving his arms around himself.

"No no, it's okay." Kuroko tried to reassure, placing a hand on his shoulder again. "You were having a nightmare, you didn't know. It's okay." What could it have been about? The monsters? Takao? The golden eye Akashi? "Do you.. want to talk about it?" He asked quietly.

"No, I'll be alright." Akashi said in between his pants as he brushed his sweaty forehead.

"Alright." Kuroko said and brushed Akashi's hair back, hoping it would help. "That's okay. Just take some deep breaths alright? It was just a dream. We're all okay."

Akashi took his time to calm down with Kuroko beside him. When he calmed down a bit and the shaking stopped, he looked over at the bluenette, "I'm sorry for worrying you. It's just another one of my nightmares. I have them from time to time. Its nothing to worry about."

"Whether you want it or not, I will worry for you Akashi-kun." It's because I care, Kuroko almost said. However he kept it to himself since he didn't want it to come out in the wrong way. "I want to help you, but I won't force you to tell me. But if you ever have anymore nightmares, you can come to me, even if I'm asleep or busy."

Akashi couldn't help but stare at the other in surprise. Why did Kuroko worry so much? He sounded so sincere and honest but Akashi had a hard time understanding it. Even though its such a simple emotion such as worry, Akashi didn't understand. Did something happen that made Kuroko this way?

"I won't wake you up every time I have a nightmare. It would be a bother." He gave Kuroko a look, "Why do you worry so much? Did something happen while we were captured?"

"It won't be a bother." Kuroko assured, stalling as he tried to find the right words to answer his question. "Well... We were captured because of me. And everyone, especially you, suffered so much because of it. And I realized how much you were risking by keeping me in the group. You or the group could have died, but you still chose to keep me in the group. I feel that I have make it up to you and everyone."

"You're not the only one at fault." Akashi closed his eyes, sighing before opening them again. He rose up his hand, moving his finger in a motion to tell Kuroko to come closer. Kuroko obeyed and closed the distance as Akashi's hand moved and flicked his forehead. "That was my own decision to make and I don't regret it. Also, if you feel like making it up to me then you'll have to put more effort into your training." Akashi moved his hand away, "You still didn't master the first lesson."

Kuroko looked at Akashi before smiling softly. He felt like he kind of had the old Akashi back. He just hoped the other wouldn't punish him for forgetting what the first lesson was. "Okay. I'll work hard then. But you shouldn't do anything that word reopen your wounds, okay?"

Akashi gave Kuroko the look, "Are you the student or the teacher? I'm fully competent to take care of myself." He said as he sat up, looking around to see where the others are. "Where are we?" Judging by the light outside, it was almost sunset.

"I'm not sure.." Kuroko stood up to check the window. "I've never left Tokyo before until everything started, so I can't guide us anymore…"

With no other choice, Akashi moved to the edge of the bed, carefully trying to stand up despite the bumps from the van being in motion.

Kuroko returned to Akashi's side quickly. "Are you alright? I'm not trying to baby you or anything but... I don't want you to fall either."

"I'm fine." Akashi assured as he made his way up to the driver with Kuroko in tow. When they made it, they saw Murasakibara driving with Kise sleeping next to him on the seat beside him. "Aka-chin? Are you feeling better?"

"I'm fine." Akashi assured, looking ahead at the horizon before them. "We need to find a place to duck in for tonight. Leave the highway and go into the forest. It'll provide some cover."

"Be careful too. Never know where there's a rock or ditch or something unexpected." Kuroko said. Hopefully they'll have a peaceful night again. Monsters shouldn't be this far out, right?

"Hai~" Murasakibara turned on the first exit but it didn't lead to a town or a village but onto a plain field. Murasakibara drove the van out through a path, entering the forest while the sun was still up. When they were deep enough, he stopped the van for the day.

"So we didn't pass anything that we could've searched? A gas station, house, nothing?" Kuroko asked worriedly. Everyone must be hungry but there wasn't much food.

"We did stop at a gas station while Kuro-chin and Aka-chin were asleep. There wasn't much but we took what we could~" Murasakibara informed them while Aomine opened the doors and went outside. He took a deep breath before stretching, "Finally some fresh air and space."

Kuroko sighed in relief. At least they got something. He'd check the supplies soon. "Do you want some fresh air too Akashi-kun? You haven't been out since we got to the car."

"I'll go out." When Kuroko offered to help, Akashi moved away. "By myself." He tried walking without any support but ended up leaning against things anyway. Once Akashi and everyone was out, Aomine and Kise didn't waste time to explore. "We could use this wood for fire!" Aomine suggested when he found a stack of fallen branches laying around. "Let's have a small campfire before the sun sets."

"If it's before sunset, I guess that's alright." Kuroko said. He was just worried about Akashi but he supposed he really shouldn't baby the other. "I can help find wood then."

"There's a bunch of wood here. Help me carry it." Aomine pointed to the pile of branches as he, Kuroko and Kise got to work. While they gathered the wood, Midorima and Murasakibara pulled up two logs and brought them to serve as chairs. When he brought the lag, Midorima remembered something. "Akashi, I'll need to change your bandages."

Akashi sighed, taking his shirt off while Midorima went into the van to get the new bandage.

Kuroko heard some of the small conversation from where he was gathering kindling and paused. Should he ask if he was helping now? Or should he keep finding some wood for the fire? He brought the pile of wood over and set them down. Just as he went to the van, Midorima came back out. "Am I helping now or..?"

Midorima nodded, "Let me show you how its done then." and they both went to Akashi who was now topless. "Kuroko will help me put on the bandages." Midorima said but Akashi gave Kuroko another look, silently telling him off for worrying too much. Midorima and Kuroko sat down and Midorima began taking off the old bandage. "There's no rocket science for taking off the old bandage, although you just have to make sure to be careful." Midorima took off the old to reveal wounds on Akashi's body.

"Then you apply some disinfection with a small pad." Midorima did just that. "Here, you can apply it to the left while I do the right side." After all, practice is the best teacher.

Kuroko nodded and began to carefully apply the disinfectant. He got worried when Akashi flinched, but Midorima said it was normal and he just needed to be careful. So he took his time since he wanted to avoid hurting Akashi as much as possible. "Will you be putting the bandages on?" He asked Midorima.

"After the disinfection, we put on the new bandages." When they finished, Midorima took out the new bandage and began showing Kuroko how to tie it around the body. "You start from the bottom and finish at the top. Here, try." He handed Kuroko the roll to try applying the new bandage.

Kuroko slowly nodded. "Uh... sorry if I accidentally hurt you.." He said to Akashi before beginning to wrap up Akashi's wounds carefully but also making sure they're tight enough.

Midorima watched as Kuroko tied the bandage and corrected him if he did a mistake. He did the finishing touches with Midorima showing him how to secure the ends. "Did you memorize everything?" Midorima asked, ready to explain should Kuroko have any questions.

"I think so.. Yeah, I'm sure I did." Kuroko said and smiled a little. "Thanks for teaching me this, Midorima-kun."

"You welcome." Midorima smiled back while Akashi was putting on his shirt again. All the while Aomine, Kise and Murasakibara brought the wood and piled it up for a fire. "Geez~ Thanks for the help Tetsu."

"Hey, I got a pile." Kuroko pouted. "Besides, I was helping Akashi-kun so I couldn't get anymore. My piles are by the log."

As Aomine looked over at Kuroko, he couldn't help but see Akashi as well and give him a look. Thankfully Akashi didn't see as he was putting on the shirt but both Kuroko and Midorima noticed. Aomine and the rest piled up the wood before Murasakibara took two branches and made fire with them. The group tiredly sat on the logs watching the fire burn before them.

For a while it was quiet. No one knew what to talk about. It was pretty awkward instead of peaceful. "..So..." Kise started. "Will we be eating anything tonight?" If they had soup on them, they could finally heat it up for once.

"We can eat the things we found at the station~" Murasakibara stood up to get the stuff and when he got back, he gave everyone their share. Luckily there were soup cans so they could heat it up.

As they began to eat, the awkwardness returned. It was quiet but somehow everyone needed it in order to sort out their minds. Although two members of the group had no idea what to think of what happened in Tokyo. "So... What exactly happened in Tokyo?" Aomine began.

Almost everyone paused while Kuroko worriedly looked over at Akashi. Should he say something? But it was Akashi's choice, wasn't it? Did he even know what was going on. "Well.. it was all very confusing and fast.." He tried to say to stall.

"It was!" Aomine agreed. "Care to say something Akashi?" Aomine asked the redhead who looked back in confusion. "Wha-"

"But we escaped~ So everything should be fine." Murasakibara stressed, giving Aomine a look as if to tell him to not pry further. "Escaped my ass! I don't get it. What exactly happened with the monsters?"

"It's.. we don't know." Kuroko said. "Please Aomine-kun, don't worry too much about it..."

"But we don't know what happened and it seems like you guys do." Kise said. "You guys were down there, you know what happened."

"Yeah! We're a team right? Why don't you guys tell us what happened?" Aomine looked back at Akashi. "What are you talking about Aomine?"

"We're talking about you and how you were all buddy buddy with those creatures." Akashi's eyes widened in surprise, frozen in place and unable to comprehend what Aomine just told him.

"That's ridiculous. There's no way tha-"

"But it's true!" Midorima was taken aback as well. What were Aomine and Kise talking about?

"Look!" Kuroko said, trying to get their attention again. They didn't need a fight right now. Or ever. "We don't know what's going on either. We were there, yes, but we don't know! Akashi-kun doesn't know, Murasakibara-kun doesn't know, I don't know." He insisted. "Please, no fighting. Please."

"We don't want to fight. We only want to know what happened." Aomine stressed and Kise nodded, agreeing. Akashi didn't know what to think of what was being said. "What exactly did I do?"

Kuroko looked towards Akashi. If he didn't know... He deserved to. "At the nest... Something happened. You.. You were different." He started softly. He saw Murasakibara looking hesitant, but Kuroko supposed it was alright to move on since he wasn't stopped. "You had a gold eye and.. the monster's listened to you. You told me you were their leader, their parent. You said you wanted to keep the group safe and fix the world with your monsters. Then.." He trailed off there, deciding it's best not to explain how he got him to return normal.

Akashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was the group making fun of him or did he really do all those things? Controlling the monsters? Parent? Gold eye? How is that possible? As Akashi was trying to comprehend what was said, Midorima had a hard time understanding as well.

"Kuroko, do you know how unbelievable that sounds?"

"I understand that it's unbelievable, but what can be considered impossible anymore? Have any of you expected a real apocalypse to happen?" Kuroko asked. Of course no one said yes. "It's what happened. Ask Murasakibara-kun."

Murasakibara was hesitant on answering so he didn't respond at all. Not wanting to make the situation any worse. The group sat in silence before Aomine spoke up again.

"I'm sorry Akashi but I don't know if I'll feel safe with you as the leader anymore." Aomine's words surprised everyone, even Akashi who didn't know how to deal with everything that was said at all. He was so shocked that some weren't even sure he heard Aomine.

"Who else would even lead?" Kuroko asked.

"Anyone we can trust." Kise said. "Just not him any more. Not when we have no idea what's going on with him."

"But Akashi-kun risked so much! He even went through so much torture to keep you all safe!" Kuroko defended Akashi.

"Do you trust him Tetsu? Say, what if one day he joins those creatures and decides to get rid of us? What if he leads us to a trap and kills us all? Are you really willing to take such a risk?"

"I could have done the same but he trusted me." Kuroko said. "You did too. Or at least I thought so." He grumbled. "So that's it? You don't trust me anymore either huh? Just because I'm defending someone who can't defend himself?" He didn't mean to word it like Akashi wasn't capable of defending himself, but it was too late to change it any way.

"I did trust him! But not now after what I saw! How can we know he's not siding with the monsters? How is it even possible to control those creatures?" Aomine reasoned his point of view, however, when Akashi stood up everyone's attention shifted to him. "I'm sorry, I need some time to think this through." He said before slowly walking away, leaning onto the trees for support.

Kuroko wanted to go after Akashi but know the other, he'd want to be alone. So he just stayed where he was and stared at the ground. He knew Aomine wasn't wrong for doubting Akashi. But to outright say he didn't trust him was so... "I think I'm just going to go inside." He murmured, setting his share of his soup down before going to the van before anyone could protest.

Nobody said a word as they cleaned up and extinguished the fire. Night was soon coming as everyone made it back to the van, that is everyone except for Akashi who was still out.

Kuroko switched between the windows of the van, worriedly watching the trees around them darken until there was nothing left but moonlight and shadows. Where was Akashi? If there were monsters about, he could get in trouble... "Murasakibara-kun.. should we do something?"

Murasakibara was looking out the window as well before he turned around to face Kuroko and the others, "Hmm... The creatures won't kill Aka-chin but I'm worried about his state..."

"The monsters really won't kill him?" Midorima asked.

"Hmm~" And Murasakibara nodded.

"We still need to find him. What if he's in trouble? What if he somehow reopened his wounds and is just lying on the ground, bleeding to death?" Kuroko stressed, moving away from the window. "We need to go after him." Hopefully the monster's don't venture this far out.

"I agree~" Murasakibara stood up. "I'll help as well." Midorima agreed as well, although two members of the group hesitated. Aomine and Kise were seated down on the chairs next to the table, unsure of what to do. "I don't think we should go. He's the monster's parent, he won't die."

"So you're just going to do nothing?" Kuroko asked. "Do you not care for him at all?"

"Well, if he's with the monster's, how can we trust him?" Kise asked. It just infuriated Kuroko more.

"He is still human!" Kuroko responded angrily as he grabbed his weapon. "Wasn't he your friend before all this happened? Doesn't he care about you guys more than himself? If you were in his shoes, I'm 100% sure he'd come after you guys too." He grumbled and opened the door. He felt a bit nervous when he saw how dark it was outside, but he forced himself to step out of the van.

When Kuroko stepped out, Murasakibara and Midorima soon followed.

"That's no-" Aomine called after them but was cut when Midorima closed the doors behind him. Before they left, Murasakibara and Midorima both took their weapons so they had some sort of comfort since Kuroko's weapons aren't effective against the monsters at all.

"We should stick together. If we separate, we'll be an easier target." Midorima suggested as they made their first steps out into the darkness.

Kuroko nodded in agreement as all three stayed close. "He went that way, right?" It was hard to tell in the dark. How would they ever find Akashi in this darkness? They still had to at least try.

"Ummm~"

The group headed the way Akashi disappeared during their bonfire, but without any light it would be difficult, next to impossible to see. Midorima kneeled down and picked up two wooden branches, rubbing them off against each other in hopes of creating fire. Kuroko and Murasakibara only watched as slowly a small flame was made.

"Get two branches with some leaves on it so we can have some light."

The two nodded and immediately went to different trees to fetch their branches. Murasakibara got his easily while Kuroko took a few moments and attempts at jumping before successfully breaking a branch off. They returned to Midorima with the branches.

Midorima moved the fire that was on his stick to lit up the leaves on Murasakibara's and Kuroko's branches. Now with some light, the three could see around them a lot better. They carried on walking, until Kuroko stopped, hearing an all too familiar sound.

"Food..."

"Hungry..."

"...Traitor..."

"...Kuroko..."

And then a really loud whisper, "...Tetsuya!..."

The monsters... there are actually monsters near by? What were they doing this far out from civilization? "Guys.." Kuroko whispered, actually shaking a little. There were so many voices, he couldn't tell where they're all coming from. It's like they were surrounded. "They're.. monsters here.."

"What?" They both stiffened when they heard a branch break somewhere in the darkness, as if someone stepped on it and it broke. The three formed a circle, having each other's back and covering the whole area so that if something jumped up on them, they would see it.

The three stood, hearing sounds of running, walking and slight growling around them.

"...Kuroko..."

"...Kuroko..."

"...Tetsuya..."

Suddenly a loud noise could be hear to their right, startling the three who jumped up in surprise. They all turned towards the direction where the sound came from and were surprised to see one of the monsters standing right before Kuroko. Dangerously close.

Since Kuroko was sure he couldn't shoot his crossbow with only one hand, even if the monster was that close, he decided to put the fire between them. Maybe the monster would think it's sunlight and just run away... It was a stupid idea but Kuroko could still hope right?

All that hope left him once the monster growled and hit the branch away from his hand. Kuroko gasped and tried reaching for it again. It would be bad if a forest fire started. However the monster from before stepped on it as if the fire didn't hurt it. At least the fire won't start a forest fire now…

The monster growled before it opened its mouth and aimed at the bluenette. Kuroko was sure he would be killed, closing his eyes in reflex when the monster closed the distance. However, that wasn't the case as the creature, instead of biting and eating him, bit into Kuroko's shirt and started dragging him away.

Murasakibara and Midorima readied their weapons to help but the other monsters that surrounded them growled, and they both knew that should they dare to fire their weapons, the creatures would kill them right away. If only there wasn't such a big number of them, they would be able to take them down... But the two of them can't do it alone.

"W-wait, let me go!" Kuroko tried fighting the monster but in a battle of power, of course the monster would win. He tried wiggling free from his shirt but at the angle the monster's holding him, it was near impossible.

He didn't realize he was completely separated from Midorima and Murasakibara until he was suddenly thrown onto the ground. When he looked up, he was alone with the monster. There wasn't even any other monsters nearby. Or at least he thought he was alone with the monster until he saw movement in the shadows up ahead. Since he didn't have the fire any more, it was hard to see.

"I won't let you..."

"Stop it!"

Kuroko heard Akashi's voice and was relieved when he realized he had found Akashi. Well he didn't practically find him, the monster did. Kuroko stood up and went towards Akashi, getting a better look at him when he did. He was shocked to see Akashi kneeling down on the ground, holding a dangerously sharp piece of wood towards his chest.

Kuroko watched as Akashi's hand moved back and forth, struggling to hold the branch in his hand. It was as if somebody was holding Akashi's hand, preventing him from killing himself. What's more, some of Akashi's bandage was untied with few new scratches on his body.

"Akashi-kun!" Kuroko yelled once he realized what the other was doing. Was he really trying to kill himself? He ran towards Akashi. Was all of this really affecting the other so much? The nightmare and Aomine must've really triggered this reaction.

He got close enough to Akashi and kneeled down in front of him, his hands grasping the wood to stop Akashi. "Don't hurt yourself like this!"

"Let go Kuroko! I have to do this." Akashi raised his voice, struggling to keep the branch in his hand.

"No you don't!" Kuroko said, holding onto the branch even if he felt the wood piercing his skin. "What are you thinking? Are you just going to leave the group behind? Your life behind? Please, think about this!"

"If I die then he dies as well! If he's killed then maybe the monsters would all die out!" Akashi insisted, gaining the willpower to push the sharp stick closer to the chest.

"But I don't want you to die!" Kuroko admitted, pulling on the branch as hard as he could. "You and the group, you're the only ones I have left! You're the only one they have left too! There has to be a way around this. I don't want to lose you."

Akashi had a strong grasp on the stick as his head was lowered down so that Kuroko couldn't see his face. His hold on the object slowly weakened until it was so weak that Kuroko could take it from him.

Kuroko took the branch and threw it away in some random direction. "Akashi-kun, please don't resort to killing yourself... No one wants to see you dead."

"Ha..ha..haha!" Kuroko was confused when he heard Akashi quietly laugh to himself but was startled when suddenly Akashi moved, so quickly that Kuroko couldn't even respond as he grabbed Kuroko's neck and pushed him against a tree. Kuroko hit the tree behind him with a thud, quickly moving his hands to try to get Akashi's hand off his neck, but without luck.

"We meet again Tetsuya. Although this time I won't be as gentle." Akashi looked up and it was then that Kuroko noticed the golden eye.

He stared at the golden eye, feeling fear fill him once more. The other Akashi must've realized that Kuroko had tricked him into turning back into the original Akashi. "P-Please," As Kuroko spoke, he realized how hard it was to speak when Akashi was pressing so hard against his throat. "I didn't.."

Akashi tightened his hold on Kuroko's neck, "Didn't? Oh~ But you did dear Tetsuya. You chose to go against me instead of joining me. A decision you'll now regret." Akashi pressed so hard that Kuroko started choking, trying to gasp for air. Akashi smirked, enjoying the sight before him before letting go, but not completely, he still held his hand on Kuroko's neck just enough for the bluenette to breathe.

Kuroko gasped for air, breathing heavily to get some air into his lungs. All the while Akashi watched in amusement.

"I-I thought you cared for the group." Kuroko managed to get out while trying to gather air. He tried pulling Akashi's hands away but that didn't work. He tried moving his hands down to his elbows, hoping it would give way easier. Akashi's arms still didn't budge. "Will you k-kill me now?"

"Tempting, but I won't do that. I didn't lie when I said that I care about the group, after all if I didn't have you then who would take care of my host?" Akashi leaned in a bit closer, "That and the fact that I've taken a liking to you. Both you, I and everyone else in the group have been used by the humans." Akashi's smirk widened, "You have been deceived by the ones you love and by others around you. When you realize this, you will come to your senses."

"Please.. stop this. You're killing so many people.. you're hurting Akashi-kun.." Kuroko said, holding onto the other's arms tightly. "I want to help everyone and I know you probably do too, but you don't have to have these monsters kill to save everyone."

Akashi tightened his hold on Kuroko's neck, "You know nothing yet you act as if you know everything. I'm sure you've asked yourself 'why?' many times since the apocalypse began, why did it all happen? Contrary to your thoughts it wasn't because of these children, it was because of human foolishness and greed." His grip tightened again, "I'm not hurting anyone, nor am I the cause of all of this." Akashi softened his grip on Kuroko's neck, letting him breathe again.

"But I don't blame you for thinking this way. Your judgment has been clouded with your parents death and your friend dying right in front of your eyes. It must be quite a shock for you."

Kuroko went quiet at the mention of those deaths. His parents and Takao died because of this apocalypse... but Akashi wasn't the start of it? "Who.. who started it then?" He asked quietly. "Who created the monsters..?"

Akashi smiled as he leaned closer to Kuroko's ear, "A powerful organization." He paused before whispering again, "And your parents."

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Um I'm dealing with a big ant infestation so I have to spend the day cleaning my room. I can't write a big note so please enjoy the story.

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Yo! Some of you may have stopped reading because Kuroko wan't the sole main character of the story, or the focus wasn't mainly on him. But since we completely concentrated on Kuroko in the Nerd story, we decided to mix it up a bit this time. Kuroko is still the central focus of the story although Akashi has a bigger role as well :) Kuro13Dead - haha Iit's cool that you're relaying the info to your friend :D I hope u both like it :D Reality Slap - I'm sorry for making Midorima's cries awkward ;3; Midorima is a serious character by nature so making him cry like that was really hard :( ugh, I'll do better next time promise! :D I hope everyone liked the chapter and just to clear up any misunderstandings you may have... Golden eyes Aka may or may not be human XD thus his weird wording XD Hope you liked it and we'll see you next week :) Bye~

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	14. File 14

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

"My.." Kuroko shook his head, tightening his hold on Akashi's arms. "No.. They didn't cause this all. They're innocent, I know it!"

"They're not as innocent as you may think. Even using their own son as a mean to achieve their goal. You were a little infant at the time so I'm sure you don't remember, but oh~ how cruel they were towards you." Akashi paused, listening to Kuroko's hitched breathing before continuing. "You know, instead of this body, I could have been right here." Akashi slightly moved away, his other hand pointing to Kuroko's chest. "But how unfortunate it is that you're not compatible with me. Your parents were quite displeased with you when they found out~"

"We were.." It took a few seconds to understand. If he had been compatible with Akashi, their roles right now would be reversed. "Is that.. that's why I can hear them?" Kuroko asked with disbelief. His parents were the cause of this apocalypse and they would even use their own son? "No. They aren't that cruel.. they were nice to me. They took care of me and raised me!.." But is that only because he wasn't useful to them in their experiments? If he had been compatible, would they have treated him human?

"Yes, because of the failed fusion when you were an infant, you are able to hear the children's voices now." Akashi looked at Kuroko pitifully, "They took care of you only because they thought they could use you further. Hearing these children's voices is quite a gift they could use to their advantage. They didn't love you at all, you were just a tool for them. Nothing more."

Kuroko couldn't tell if Akashi was lying or not. If he was lying, he was really good at it. Did his parents really not love him? The tablet and his ability to hear the monster's support it...

He slowly slid down against the tree, trying hard not to tear up again. It wasn't true. His parents loved him... "So they used Akashi-kun instead..." Even if they did love him, they did use another innocent baby for their experiments. Who knows how many they actually used. Who knows how many died in the process. "My parents.. they wouldn't.."

Akashi kneeled down beside Kuroko and cupped his face gently, "They did. They did it only for their own interests. They didn't think how it would impact you and what they would do to other people. Humans are disgusting like that and that's why they cannot be trusted."

"Aomine-kun and Kise-kun did turn on Akashi-kun.. They've been friends for so long then one thing happens and.." Kuroko closed his eyes and leaned close to Akashi, clutching onto him. "It's unfair. Why does this keep happening? Why do we all keep deceiving and betraying each other?"

"That's human nature. There's no hope for humans, but I'm different. I'm different from those disgusting humans." Akashi tilted Kuroko's face up, "Do you see my eye?" Kuroko focused on Akashi's golden eye but then noticed something... the remaining red eye... had a tint of gold in it. "Once my other eye turns completely gold, I will be in total control. My host will die and I will take his place. When that happens, I will make everything right again."

Kuroko heard the word die and his breath hitched. He didn't want any more deaths. He didn't want anyone else to die. "I can't.. no, I won't let you do that. I won't let Akashi-kun die." Akashi seemed surprised which was the perfect opportunity for Kuroko to make a move. Since he didn't know what else to do to make Akashi return to normal, he had to repeat what he did before.

When he leaned forward to kiss Akashi again, it was a bit too rough since he did it too fast, but he didn't pull away. He had actually pushed Akashi enough to make them both fall back with Kuroko on top. He really hoped this worked, for both his and Akashi's sakes…

Akashi's eyes narrowed, and Kuroko could tell from his eyes alone that he was furious. However, his eyes slowly began to close as they both fell down on the ground. Kuroko slowly broke the kiss as he pushed himself up to look at the other. Akashi's eyes slowly began to open and Kuroko breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that both of his eyes were crimson red.

Kuroko leaned down to hold onto Akashi tightly. "Please Akashi-kun, don't hurt yourself anymore!" He said to the other, feeling emotional and exhausted thanks to the other Akashi. He closed his eyes, feeling the tears that wasn't to escape before come back. "Please, I don't want to lose you. You don't deserve all this pain but killing yourself isn't worth it. You'll just let the other win and hurt your friends."

Akashi was taken aback by Kuroko's action, still fazed as if waking up from deep sleep. He heard Kuroko's breath hitch, noticing that the other was crying while holding onto him tightly. Akashi softly smiled before placing his arm on Kuroko's back. "I won't." He didn't know what happened but he knew one thing, and that is that he did Kuroko harm.

While the two were laying down on the ground in an embrace, the monster that was watching from the sidelines approached and growled.

"Kuroko Tetsuya..."

"Traitor..."

"Kill..."

The monster growled, jumping into air, but just before it was about to land on Kuroko and Akashi, suddenly an arrow appeared and pierced the creature, making it fall back on its back. They noticed other creatures approaching; planning to attack but it was then that they noticed the rest of the group, using their weapons to fight back.

"Sorry we're late!" Aomine appeared and pushed back a creature that was aiming for Kuroko's neck.

Kuroko felt disbelief when he saw Aomine and Kise there. Murasakibara and Midorima were no surprise, but those two actually came to help? He thought they hated Akashi now... Speaking of Akashi, he looked down at the other. "Are you okay? Do you think you can stand?" They had to either kill all these monsters or run away, two things they couldn't do if they stayed on the ground.

"I can but you'll have to get off me first." Akashi tilted his head to the side to see the others fighting the creatures. From what Akashi could tell there were about 15 left, but that's no match for his group. Akashi smiled, "Don't worry, we're safe."

"Right.." Kuroko slowly got off him. He supposed it would be better if they stayed out the way because Akashi was too injured to fight and Kuroko was useless, even with a crossbow. He helped Akashi sit up and moved him closer to the tree for a little more cover. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry." Akashi assured as a monster jumped behind Kuroko but before it could land a hit, an arrow hit it and it fell onto the ground.

Kuroko wondered how crazy it would seem if anyone saw this battle. Everyone was fighting except two people who were watching and chatting peacefully together. Kuroko guessed it was because he knew he could trust his group to keep them safe. He tiredly leaned his head on Akashi's shoulder as he watched the number of monsters decrease. "My neck.. are there any marks..?" His throat was really hurting, so maybe Akashi squeezed it hard enough to leave bruises.

Akashi turned around to look at Kuroko's neck, stroking it with his hand, noticing the red hand marks. It was true that he didn't know what happened or how Kuroko ended up on top of him, but he knew he was responsible for those marks. "I'm sorry. I did this to you didn't I?"

"You didn't do it. It was the other one.." Kuroko mumbled. He'd have to get some water once they make it back to the van. "Don't feel bad. You didn't do this and you never would.."

Akashi softly smiled as a loud screech resonated throughout the forest. Kuroko and Akashi looked up to see the group standing above the corpses of many monsters they've taken down, their weapons glowing in the darkness.

"Heh~ That was easy." Aomine and Kise high fived, Midorima pushed up his glasses while Murasakibara sighed.

Kuroko slowly stood up before helping Akashi up. He stayed close to the other even if Akashi didn't want help walking. "Does anyone remember the way back?" He was too exhausted to think. He just wanted to sleep.

Aomine and Kise scratched their heads making Midorima sight, "I know the way. Follow me." Murasakibara walked over to Kuroko to help support Akashi as they all headed back to the van. They made it with no trouble, went in and closed the doors.

Everyone was exhausted, dropping down their weapons and going to either sit or lay down. However, Aomine and Kise still stood by the doors. "Akashi, we're sorry for what we said." Aomine lightly hit Kise to the side, silently telling him to say something too.

"Y-Yeah, sorry. We were just scared. Everyone gets scared right?" Kise apologized, keeping his head down in shame.

"I'm just glad you didn't abandon him.." Kuroko mumbled tiredly, getting a water from his supplies. He took a few sips to preserve resources, but those sips helped his throat a lot. "And I'm also glad everything turned out okay.." Except that Kuroko learned the truth about his parents.

Akashi smiled, sitting down on a chair. "I don't blame you. Truthfully, if I was in your position I would do the same. It's understandable why you wouldn't trust me... To be honest, I don't trust myself anymore either. That's why I don't mind stepping down as the leader. I don't know when I might lose control and do something to harm everyone."

"I can't think of anyone who's better suited." Kise admitted. "You're a really good leader."

"Yeah. Thinking about it now, I don't think anyone is suited except for you. Midorima is the doc, Murasakibara is too lazy, Tetsu is... impulsive, not to mention the blondie. He would kill us if he were to lead us." Aomine said, receiving whines from the said blonde.

"I feel insulted.." Kuroko murmured with a deadpan as he sat on the bed he shared with Akashi. "But I agree, as I'm sure everyone else does too. You're more suited for the role of leader."

"Yes. I agree." Kise said before hitting Aomine's hard. "But Aominicchi didn't need to be mean about it with me! I would not get everyone killed." He whined.

"You would! Stop whining about it!" And he returned the hit.

Akashi smiled. It was heartwarming that everyone trusted him enough to continue to lead them, however, as the leader Akashi had a responsibility and that is to keep everyone safe. He sighed, "It seems that everyone has decided. However, as the leader I'm still concerned about the fact that I might turn on you and that's why from now on if you sense that there is something wrong or that my orders sound strange or weird, don't hesitate to disobey it."

If in the future he would become more unstable... "If something happens, don't hesitate to stop me."

Kuroko hoped that to stop Akashi, they didn't have to go too far. "We should get some sleep." He knew everyone was tired. Himself especially. "We have to travel again tomorrow if we hope to find more supplies."

"Kuroko is right. Everyone should get some rest." Midorima as the doctor of the group said, sending everyone to bed. "Hai~ Hai~" Aomine tiredly walked over to the couch and threw himself on it. It was nice having a van. Its like a transportable little house. It wasn't that comfy but it still felt nice that they didn't need to sleep outside in caves or somewhere else.

Kuroko laid down on the bed. Even though this was now a second time he actually kissed Akashi, he didn't feel too embarrassed with sleeping beside him. Probably because other things were on his mind... His hand gripped the bed slightly and he closed his eyes. What Akashi said about his parents couldn't be true... right?

The lights were switched off as everyone went to their beds. Akashi walked over and laid down next to the bluenette, however, even though they tried, nobody could sleep that night. They had a lot on their minds after everything that had happened... who wouldn't be messed up after that?

With no one getting much sleep, the next morning was very quiet and groggy. No one really wanted to get up but they forced themselves to get up. Or rather Murasakibara, Kise, and Midorima. Murasakibara had to drive, Midorima had to check on Akashi, and Kise just had more energy than the others.

Aomine sat up and stretched before heading out. Nature calls... Then after he got back inside the van, he noticed that Kuroko was laying down on his couch. "Oi Tetsu, move it. I want to lay back down." Murasakibara soon put the van in motion when everyone was ready to go.

Kuroko had his eyes covered with his arm, so he had to move his arm to look at Aomine. "But I already got comfortable…"

"You got your own bed so go there." Aomine frowned, pulling both of Kuroko's arms up to try to get him to get up but it didn't work. "Don't be so stubborn, a bed is a better choice for sleeping anyway!"

"Noooo! Akashi-kun is taking up the whole bed." Kuroko pouted. "I want to lay down too. You always get to lay down."

Aomine frowned once more, "I don't care! Get up!" Aomine pulled on the other again but just then, the van suddenly shook, throwing Aomine off balance and making him fall down on Kuroko. The fall itself wasn't as surprising but what was was the fact that when Aomine fell down, his and Kuroko's lips met, turning into a kiss. Kise and Akashi stared in surprise as the two kissed.

"Ara~ Ara~ Sorry I missed a small pot hole~" Murasakibara said from the drivers seat but the damage was already done.

Kuroko took a few seconds to register what was happening before he pulled his head away, pushing against Aomine. "A-Alright, get up, I'll move!" He didn't want something like that to repeat itself. Why was he always in these situations with kissing guys?! His first and second kiss were stolen by his group leader, and now his third had been stolen by his friend!

"I didn't know you and Aomine had that sort of a relationship." Akashi asked in confusion while Kise gave Kuroko a glare. "Actually they had more moments like this before, although now they're taking it to the next level." Kise informed the redhead, only making Kuroko's and Aomine's blushes intensity.

"W-Wait! You got it all wrong! I'm not a pan!" As soon as those words left Aomine's lips, he received a hit to the head, forming a huge bump.

"I don't like pans!" Kuroko yelled as he got off the couch once Aomine wasn't completely on top of him. He moved away, hugging himself as of it would protect him from being kissed again or something. "And you got it wrong Kise-kun! I wouldn't want to kiss Aomine-kun! If anything I'd rather kiss Akas-" He stopped before he could continue and covered his mouth. He has been thinking about those kisses so much, it must've just slipped his mind.

Akashi, Aomine and Kise all stared at Kuroko in surprise. Kuroko may not have finished the sentence but they understood fully well what he said. Akashi chuckled, "I'm honoured Kuroko but I'm sorry, I'm not a good kisser." Everyone deadpanned, was he telling them he didn't remember last night's kiss or the one before that? Aomine and Kise may have been too far away when Kuroko kissed him in the creature's nest, but yesterday's kiss was pretty obvious. Did he really not remember?

"Don't get any strange ideas Tetsu. Akashi isn't a pan either so-" Soon enough, Aomine received another bump on top of the other one he already had. "Oww! Stop hitting me!"

"I'll stop hitting you once you stop saying I like pans!" Kuroko insisted before returning to his bed. He didn't care whether Akashi was there or not. He just wanted to curl up in the corner and hide from his embarrassment.

However, even though Kuroko wanted to hide, the van was small so there wasn't much room for him to disappear to. Everyone was practically cramped up in one box, stuck together whether they wanted to or not. Akashi couldn't help but wonder what Aomine meant by pans but then he understood, "Pan? As in pansexual?"

Kuroko sat down on the bed and nodded. "Yeah. Do you know what that is?" He asked with surprise. Did another human being finally understand what he meant? "Please tell me you do.."

"I do. Pansexuality is a sexual attraction or romantic love towards any gender." Akashi remembered that he read about it a long time ago, that and much more.

"Yeah. But it means you love their personality and stuff, so you don't really care what their gender is or what they look like. That's how it should be, right?" Kuroko asked.

"I do think that taking into consideration a person's personality is important, one of the most important things to consider when choosing a partner, however, I do believe that the gender cannot be completely discarded. For example, a male has a completely different anatomy to a female and vice versa. There are major differences that cannot be overlooked."

"I guess you're right..." Kuroko murmured. Maybe Akashi wasn't pan or even bisexual, so maybe he didn't see it the same way? Not that Kuroko minded, everyone has their own opinions. "So what are you then?"

"Me?" Even though the question was a simple one, Akashi found it hard to answer. "To be honest I never thought about things like this. If I had to describe myself in terms of preference, I would say that I don't have any."

"Well.." Kuroko looked down, hoping he wouldn't get flat out rejected. "I-If it helps.. would you find it disgusting if you.. kissed me?"

Akashi looked at Kuroko but couldn't see his face because his head was facing downwards, "I wouldn't find it disgusting. You're a kind-hearted person even though you may be reckless most of the time; you still follow through and achieve your goal. Your stubbornness is one of your positive traits even though it may also put you in danger. But all in all no, I wouldn't mind kissing you."

Kuroko felt embarrassed with all the praise that he didn't raise his head just yet. "..Earlier you said you're a bad kisser. Does that mean you've never really tried or..?"

Akashi sighed, "I've never kissed before so it would be only natural that I'm a bad kisser, since I have no experience."

Kuroko wondered if Akashi would be mad if he knew Kuroko already kissed him twice. "I'm sure you're not that bad.." He said, finally raising his head. "Um.. D-Do you maybe.. want to.. see if you're a bad kisser.. with m-me..?" He whispered quietly, almost inaudible.

Akashi raised a brow, opening his lips to answer, however before he could, he was interrupted but Aomine who jumped on their bed. "Oi Tetsu! I found something you might like!"

"Aomine-kun!" Kuroko didn't know whether he should be angry or thankful. "I swear, if it's another pan catalogue.."

"Hehe~ Close enough but no. Yours truly found you something you'll droll over." Aomine smirked, raising up some sort of a book before giving it to Kuroko. When Aomine gave Kuroko the book, the poor bluenette was at a loss for words. He couldn't do or say anything, only look up at Aomine for an explanation.

"Haha! I knew you would like it! Who knew I would find something like this in one of the shelves!? Looks like the owner of the van had good taste. Look." Aomine turned the pages but when he did, Kuroko immediately closed the book.

"Huh? What's wrong Tetsu?" Aomine asked but Kuroko was speechless, his cheeks burning. Aomine really outdid himself this time. The book he gave Kuroko was a sort of porno magazine with the female models being naked and the only thing covering their private parts being... pans... yes... pans of all kinds… A porno book composed of naked women with pans…

"Toss this out the window now." Kuroko said after a moment of silence. He saw Aomine's face full of confusion and frowned. Did he really not understand?! He would never read something as embarrassing as this! "Throw it out or I'll throw you out instead!" He yelled with burning cheeks.

"Whoa! Calm down Tetsu!" Aomine backed away, "I thought you would like it! And here I was trying to do something nice!"

Kuroko threw the book at him before turning away, holding his knees to his chest. "I appreciate it, but I don't want that! Please, throw it out!" Before someone sees and gets the wrong idea.

When Kuroko threw the book at Aomine, it landed on his face before the tanned teen took it and threw it onto the floor. The book slid down the floor until it bumped against a leg. Midorima raised a brow, picking up the book to see what it was, although when he saw the cover, it was enough to know what kind of a book it is.

Kise noticed Midorima freeze, his cheeks slightly turning red as he stared at the cover of a book. He curiously approached the greenhead and glanced at the book he was holding in his hand. "Pff! Hahah! Whose book is it?"

"Obviously Tetsu's!"

"No, it's not! I'm not a pervert like Aomine-kun!" Kuroko insisted as he looked back at the other's. Then he looked at Akashi with pleading eyes. "Tell them it's not mine. You know it's not."

Akashi sighed, he really didn't want to be a part of this, "It's not Kuroko's possession. Aomine gave it to him as a present but Kuroko rejected it." He informed the others but it's not like it cured Midorima of his red cheeks or Kise of his laugh.

"What are you talking about back there~?" Murasakibara who was driving asked after hearing the commotion at the back. "Don't worry about it Murasakibara. Instead of fooling around, we should discuss yesterday's events and exchange information. When we arrive to Mt Fuji, I don't want anyone to be left behind. Everybody should be up to date as to what happened."

It wasn't just Kuroko who quieted down when they heard what Akashi said. Talk about yesterday? Kuroko really didn't want to do that for his own reasons. What would everyone think when they figure out his parents were the cause of this apocalypse and subject 4? He lightly hugged himself as every one moved onto the couches or bed so they could all talk and discuss.

Everyone hesitated, torn whether to tell Akashi or not. Every time the... other Akashi would take over, the original would have no recollection of what happened. They all knew Akashi cares about the group but what if they told him that he had hurt them? Would he be able to handle that?

"Yesterday..." Midorima decided to begin, "When you left during the campfire, we decided to search for you since you weren't coming back. We left but we were suddenly ambushed by those creatures. They surrounded us and then suddenly one of the creatures jumped and dragged Kuroko away."

Aomine and Kise remained quiet, but they had a responsibility to tell Akashi what they did as well. "As for Kise and I, we didn't go with the others because we... doubted you."

"But then we thought about it and came to help. We now know it was wrong of us to do that. We really were just scared." Kise finished. It was true that they did think about it on their own, but the words Kuroko had said before he left really did get them thinking.

It was now Kuroko's turn to share, but the other didn't speak. He just held himself tightly and shook his head. He didn't want to tell them what happened. Not ever.

Everyone noticed Kuroko and the way he tried to withdraw himself from the conversation, "Where did the monster drag you to Kuroko?"

Kuroko didn't say anything again but he did respond physically. He glanced at Akashi before quietly pointing at him.

The group was confused as to why Kuroko didn't want to talk but the information they got was valuable. So the monsters surrounded Midorima and Murasakibara while one of them dragged Kuroko off to Akashi for some reason. Then that means he must have been with Akashi the whole time while the rest of group were making their way towards the redhead and the bluenette.

Akashi narrowed his eyes in thought. Did he do something to Kuroko to such an extend that the other didn't even want to talk about it? Akashi knew the possibility of that scenario being the case was very likely but then again, he doesn't remember. What's more, he doesn't know Kuroko's and his other self's relationship, so in the end, he had to resort to assuming.

"I'm sorry Kuroko, for doing terrible things to you." Akashi bowed in apology before looking back up, "If you feel uncomfortable talking about it then I'll make an exception and give you more time to share the information. However, if you could tell us vital parts as to what you know that can increase our chances of survival then please I'll have to ask you to do so. Anything that would be useful to us before we arrive to Mt Fuji."

Kuroko slowly nodded, still avoiding anyone's eyes. Perhaps it really was childish to hide what happened like this... He needed to explain everything. To gain trust, he had to show trust.

"The monster.. it dragged me all the way to Akashi-kun." He started quietly, holding his knees to his chest again. "Akashi-kun was there.. trying to kill himself. Something was preventing him from harming himself though. I ran to stop him and managed to get him to stop, but.." He took a deep breath and continued.

"He had me pinned to the tree, choking me.. but it was the other Akashi-kun, not the one we have now. He called me a traitor and.. He said other things.. about him and my parents and.. me. All connecting to the apocalypse.."

Akashi and everyone else was surprised. Akashi knew about the suicide attempt but that was the last thing he remembered before falling unconscious. He tightened his fist, frustrated with himself. He had hurt Kuroko after all and it was all because he was incompetent enough to prevent it.

"Are your parents involved?" Midorima asked and Kuroko nodded.

"So how are you and your parents involved?"

"He said my parents helped.. with everything. He didn't specifically say what but he said they.. used me. They didn't love me. They used me for their own experiments. That's why I can hear the monster's talk instead of just their growls and stuff. But I wasn't compatible with the other Akashi-kun. He said I was supposed to be his vessel, but I wasn't suited for it. The only reason I'm still alive is because my parents thought my gift of hearing the monster's could be useful.." Kuroko felt his voice crack and die off by the end of his explanation. "T-They must've taken so many babies and.. and who knows how many w-were.."

The others were blown away by Kuroko's words. His parents took part in the experiments that had made the creatures? What's more, they had used their own son as a tool? Assuming that what Kuroko said is right, then in the end could they say that Akashi is the final product of Kuroko's parents goals?

They had tried to make Kuroko a host but to what? What exactly is the other Akashi? Was the purpose of the whole research to find a compatible vessel for him? For what purpose?

They had hoped that the information Kuroko had would give them more answers but in the end it had only given them more questions. "My other self cannot be trusted. We have to remember that he's an unknown entity that we know nothing about. Therefore, we have to be critical of everything he says." Akashi didn't really want to call his other self... 'his other self', but its not like they had a name for him... it.

"What he told you may very well be false but I cannot deny that it's the only lead we have." Their only lifeline to hope, "If what he said is true then there could possibly be more people out there who hear the creature's voices. Just like Kuroko and I."

Akashi moved, reaching out for Kuroko's head before gently pushing him towards his chest. "I don't know if your parents may have had a role in creating those creatures but what matters is that you're here now with us. You're safe now Kuroko."

Kuroko didn't expect such a response but he didn't hate it. In fact, he liked this outcome a lot better than what he had anticipated. He didn't speak and just buried his head in Akashi's chest, careful of his healing wounds. All this time he's been unsure about where he stands in the group, whether he's an actually member or just an outsider tagging along. He finally felt like he was a part of the group. "Thank you.. everyone."

As Kuroko snuggled into Akashi's chest, the others smiled but were still thinking over what they just learned. It was hard to believe but they've already been through a lot not to believe what they were just told. The van was silent as everyone gave Kuroko some time to calm down. When Kuroko stopped crying, Midorima decided it was the right time to ask a question.

"If what Kuroko said is right and the scientists used many infants as specimens, then how come we didn't see any remains of them in the research lab we discovered? There was nothing there apart from old documents and the video recording."

"Doc has a point. We didn't find any babies in the lab." Could it be that the lab wasn't the main laboratory but just a fraction of it.

"Even though we didn't find them, or better say, remains of the specimens that didn't survive, Kuroko and I are proof enough that the experiments did take place. Now lies another question, could there be other survivors out there?"

"Maybe there are other labs too. That other lab did seem too small to be considered a central base." Kise suggested. Plus it seemed too close to civilization since it was not too far in the forest next to Kyoto. Labs like that would be distanced from big cities at least.

"So the only way we can confirm is to find another base?" Would they even be that lucky?

The van became quiet again as everyone thought about what to do. Well, they can't do anything more but go after the device in Mt Fuji and hope that they find clues there. Since everyone has opened up and told everyone else what they knew, Akashi decided it was time to open up as well.

"I have something to share as well." Everyone looked up, "Even though I did find out about the other existence within me when you've told me, I faintly knew about him before." Akashi tried to find the correct words to express himself, "I see him in my dreams and I hear his voice whisper to me once in a while. While I was conscious of those things, I never acknowledged his existence and dismissed it as a result of shock, due to the apocalypse suddenly happening. Now I realize how blind I was." Akashi's eyes moved downwards, "I should have known it was something more than a delusion."

"It's not your fault." Kuroko tried to reassure the other, looking up at him. He wanted to say it was his parent's fault, but just thinking about those words made him sick. Plus they didn't know if it was true or not. "There's no way you could have known."

"Thank you but I still feel the need to make it up to you all for my ignorance." He was partially at fault and he knew it.

It went quiet again, but it wasn't that awkward of a silence. It was more like no one knew if there was anything to ask or point out. "...So.. Every time you talk to the other Akashicchi, you somehow get him to return to normal," Kise said, looking at Kuroko. "How do you get him to return normal?"

Kuroko paused before realizing what he was asking. He turned red and shook his head. "I-I don't do much.."

"You had to have done something. Tell us, maybe we can do the same if the situation calls for it." Aomine suggested, noticing the red blush on Kuroko's face which got him quite curious as to what it is.

Kuroko couldn't imagine anyone else doing it. No, he didn't want to imagine anyone else doing it. "N-No, I don't think anyone else should do it.."

"Why can't we do it? What is it?" Aomine curiously asked, while everyone else was itching to know as well.

"Because.." Maybe if he said it, they'd stop bugging and know they can't? "W-Well.. um.. I uh.. k-kiss him..?"

"Kiss!?" Aomine moved back in surprise, hitting his head against a shelf in the process. How could a kiss turn him back to normal?

"Ehhh? A kiss?"

"That's unexpected." Midorima pushed up his glasses, it just didn't make sense.

"We've kissed?" Akashi was taken aback but... remembering the positions he had woken up to... a kiss would be the most probable scenario.

"So a kiss is the magic?" Aomine thought of an idea. "Let's kiss Aka-" He moved his head towards Akashi for a kiss, but the other stopped him by putting his hand on Aomine's lips. "I would rather not."

"Don't you want to find out if it works?"

"We can't find out anything since the other Akashi isn't in control. The whole purpose of the kiss is to return him back to normal which he is now." Midorima noted while Aomine moved away.

"But still, what if it works the other way as well? If we kiss him now, does the other Akashi surface?" For once, Aomine raised a good question. Does it work both ways?

"There's only one way to test it out." Aomine closed his eyes, leaning in for another attempt, however, just like the first attempt, a hand stopped him. "Try it again and I'll have your head." Akashi gave Aomine a glare as the other quickly moved away, hitting his head against the shelf again.

"I'm sorry if you don't like that. It was the only thing I could think of that could.. well, "shock" you awake." Kuroko said. "And we didn't kiss once. It was twice..."

"So sly." Kise commented which made Kuroko blush again.

"T-To make you feel better, you weren't a bad kisser!" Kuroko said. Maybe that was because Akashi couldn't respond…

Akashi sighed, "How did you know a 'shock' would be able to bring me back? How did you come to that conclusion?" Akashi was curious.

"Well.. I read a lot of books and.. in most scenarios, a shock would fix things.. like how your hiccups will go away if you get scared or something." Kuroko explained. "I thought it wouldn't work a second time but for some reason, it did."

Aomine deadpanned, "For a smart looking guy, you can be really dumb sometimes Tetsu." And for that he received a hit to the head, a third bump along with two other which he received from hitting the shelf.

"Then we have to have Kuroko kiss you every time you lose control?" Midorima turned to Akashi.

"It seems so. I don't know why but it did work before so we'll have to depend on that."

"Wait, so what about my theory? Does it work both ways?" Aomine asked, curious to know.

"I really don't want to find out." Kuroko murmured. Not after what happened last night... Plus having everyone watch him kiss Akashi would be embarrassing!

"Let's leave it at that. We know of a way to turn me back and that's all we need for now. However..." Akashi turned to Kuroko, "For stealing my first kiss, I'll have you pay me back. I'm quadrupling your training once we arrive to Mt Fuji."

"W-What? It should be the opposite. You stole my first kiss too!" Kuroko said with a small pout. Why did he get in trouble for saving Akashi? Twice!

"You're the one who initiated the kiss, so you're the one who stole it." Akashi pointed out. "I don't want to hear any complains. I'll have my way with you once we arrive so prepare yourself."

"O-Okay, but can you please not use those choice of words?" How could he not think of something else when Akashi says things like "I'll have my way with you" and "prepare yourself"?

Akashi stood in place, stunned. "I change my mind. I'm quintupling your training for having a dirty mind, and 'have my way with you once we arrive' but not the way you may think."

"W-Wait, please! I didn't mean it!" Kuroko couldn't handle the regular training, how would he be able to handle this? "Please reconsider. I did bring you back twice."

"You did but I won't change my mind, otherwise I wouldn't be satisfied." Akashi smirked, "Prepare yourself." He teased before walking away to sit next to the driver, Murasakibara.

"Geez Tetsu. I knew you were a beast but I didn't know you were that much of a beast."

Kuroko didn't respond, both too embarrassed and upset. Now everyone knew what he had to do to bring Akashi back and that he had a "dirty" mind, plus he has to do much more training. He just laid down with his back towards Aomine and the others. He didn't want to show his face for a while.

For the rest of the journey, the group did their own thing. Aomine slept and snored, Kise was beside him sleeping as well, Midorima was sitting by the window looking outside, Murasakibara and Akashi were chatting up at the front while Kuroko still recovered from the embarrassment.

It wasn't long before a city started to appear behind the horizon. Akashi smiled as he noticed Shizuoka city appear before them. "We're here." He announced to the others at the back as they slowly started entering the city. Up in the distance, they could see Mt Fuji in all its glory.

Kuroko slowly got up to look out the window. He looked up at the mountain with a little awe. It was just a mountain, but it looked pretty cool. It was a really big mountain too. "Isn't this one the highest mountain?" He asked Akashi.

"Yes. It's Japan's highest mountain and one of the Three Holy Mountains. Not only that but its also an inactive volcano that last erupted in the year of 1707." Although Mt Fuji is also known widely for its beauty, even outside of Japan.

"It's really nice.. I hope it doesn't erupt." Kuroko smiled as he sat back down. "So will we start scavenging once we find a place to stay? We still have time before dark."

"Of course." Akashi assured as the van slowly entered the suburbs. The group wasn't picky about which house to stay in but they did look for a place that didn't have broken windows or doors. Once they found a house with a garage to boot, they parked the van inside before going out to explore their new house.

It was when they were exploring that Kuroko realized something. Now that they had a house to sleep in, this means he won't automatically get to sleep beside Akashi. The thought kind of disappointed him since he liked sleeping next to the other.

"So, how are we going to assign sleeping places?" Kise asked. "And can we please switch it up? Aominicchi and I always get the couches or floor!"

"Yeah! Where's the democracy in that!?" The two complained while the rest sighed.

"We'll do it the way we always do. We draw from the hat." As soon as Akashi said it, everybody knew what was coming. "I think that's fair."

"Che... Yeah because you always win."

"Did you say something Aomine?"

"N-Nothing at all!"

And so they wrote down the rooms which were the master bedroom, children's room #1, children's room #2, guest room and finally the couches. As soon as they wrote down the rooms and put the small papers in the hat, they were ready to begin drawing.

"Here, have the honours." Akashi pointed the hat towards Kise.

Kise looked at the hat nervously and sighed. He hoped with all his might he'd get something other than children's room... He put his hand in the hat and slowly took a paper out. "...Couch.."

As soon as he read what was on the doomed piece of sheet, he felt a hand on his shoulder, "My turn." Aomine's heartbeat fastened as he looked at the hat in suspense. He slowly and hesitantly put his hand in when he was ready and... draw! Aomine kept his eyes closed as he turned the paper around, opening his eyes again to read it. "Couch"

Kuroko smiled at the two. Looks like they've been fooled again. He decided to go next. He wasn't disappointed with the children's room. He was pretty small to begin with anyway. Midorima got the other children's room and Murasakibara got the guest room. That leaves Akashi with... of course.

"Looks like I'll be taking the master bedroom again. How unfortunate for you not to pick it when you were the first two to draw." Akashi mused, going up the stairs to his prize.

"Che... How does he do it?" Aomine asked the blonde beside him who shook his head, not knowing either.

"I guess we should settle in." Kuroko suggested. "After this, Akashi-kun wanted us to search the city for supplies."

"Yeah, yeah." The group began settling in as Kuroko said but while some where sorting out their beds, Aomine and Kise had nothing to sort out on couches. All they need are blankets and some pillows. Once everyone was done and sorted, the group went out, but before they would split, Akashi had a change in plans.

"Kuroko and I will stay here. The rest of you will go together in a group and search the area for supplies. Don't wonder off on your own. For what we know, there may be bandits out here as well." And they all already experienced capture once, they weren't willing to do it again.

Kuroko didn't remember being told about this. He had been so excited to explore the city next to the most beautiful mountain ever, but now he had to stay home? Of course he didn't argue, but he felt a bit disappointed.

Once the group left and the two were left alone, Akashi decided it was time to begin. "Why the long face? Aren't you excited to be alone with me?"

Kuroko pouted when Akashi said that. "What's that supposed to mean?" Did Akashi really think Kuroko was expecting something to happen? "So why are we staying here?" Training probably.

"I told you, we need to resume your training. You've been slacking off long enough." Akashi approached the bluenette, "Let's start with a warm up. Run 10 circles around the house."

Kuroko sighed as he looked at the house with dread. The awful hell training was back... He was beginning to think it wasn't even worth it. But he didn't complain and just started to run like Akashi told him to do.

Kuroko managed to run six laps but the remaining four were hell. He could barely manage to do them but when he finally succeeded and did them, more hell awaited. Akashi had him do sit ups, jumps and finally squats before they began sparring. Akashi told Kuroko to focus on offence while he would defend.

Kuroko had to incorporate misdirection into his attacks, aiming for the pressure points. He was close but each time he would try, Akashi would just hit him and make him fall down on the ground. Kuroko was so focused on the training and the goal of hitting Akashi that he didn't notice the others when they returned.

Kuroko went on for another attempt at hitting Akashi but as soon as he ducked down in hopes of attacking from below, Akashi foresaw the attack, moving down and making Kuroko fall down by tripping his legs.

"Ouch~ That's gotta hurt." Aomine commented as the others returned with supplies in hand. Akashi noticed the bags they were carrying, content that they finally get to eat something.

"And that ends today's training." He extended his hand to Kuroko to help him stand up.

Kuroko tiredly took the hand, too exhausted and hurt all over to keep up his pride. He let Akashi help him up, wincing at the pain in his back. He was almost sure Akashi didn't hold back when he threw him on the ground multiple times. He just wanted to sleep now. Even if that meant missing dinner.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Hmm.. what to write... Well first off, please enjoy the chapter :3 sorry if things get confusing in the future but trust us, most, if not everything, will be solved and explained. Be patient~

Okay, now to get onto personal news. I won my county's film festival! Two years in a row! :D All thanks to the power of art! And animation! :D Yay :3 *pats everyone because I'm in a good mood* Oh, happy mother's day even if some of you may not be mothers :3

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** *ULTRA MEGA GAMA TIRED* *Unable to write note due to tiredness* *Has exams next week*... Gomen :( Will write one next week, Bye :) p.s. at least Bell has a long one~ XD

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	15. File 15

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

The group went into the house and while Kuroko went straight to lay down on the couches, Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara went into the kitchen to sort out the supplies. Luckily the group had found canned tuna, potato chips and more canned food which they were thankful for. They ate bread most of the time so a little break was welcomed. Although they did find sandwiches as well.

Kuroko covered his eyes with his arms, sighing deeply. He was really tired... but he had to eat or else he won't get the nutrients he needs. He slowly sat up before going to the kitchen to see if they were done sorting. "When will we eat..?"

"We're almost done. You can sit down while we finish up." Midorima told the other as the three of them were doing the last of the supplies. Soon after Kuroko, Kise and Aomine entered the kitchen going straight for the chairs next to the table to sit down.

"How come we never sort out the supplies?" Aomine wondered. They never did it before, it was only Akashi, Murasakibara and Midorima.

"Maybe it's because you might snack while sorting?" Kuroko suggested thoughtfully. It was the only thing coming to his tired mind.

"I would never do that." Aomine yawned as the others brought the food to the table. They didn't say anything but everyone knew that was the case.

They all sat down and began to eat. "We're not in a rush to reach Mt Fuji. I suggest we go the day after tomorrow." They could use tomorrow to gather more supplies and prepare for the trip.

"Wait, we're actually going to climb the mountain?" Kise asked. If they're looking for a device, it could be anywhere on there! How knows, maybe it fell into the city!

After hearing "climb the mountain", Kuroko felt like passing out. Now that his trainings been doubled, he barely had enough energy to stay awake for dinner!

"Yes. We could miss the device if we take the van." They could miss vital spots or pass some big clue.

"When we go up.. Will we be setting up like, camps and stuff as we go along?" Kuroko asked. If they were, they might need more than a day to gather enough supplies. It would be one day more before they had to go climb a giant mountain.

"Although it's not safe to sleep out in tents, we'll need to take refuge on the mountain. We'll not be able to find the device in one go so we'll have to use the houses on the mountain, restaurants, tourists spots and so on. As long as we don't find the device, we can't leave the mountain."

Midorima put his hand on his chin in thought, "It would be better if we could stay here a bit longer before venturing out into the cold." They could have more time to prepare for the cold weather and snow.

"I see. Would you agree?" Akashi asked the others for their opinions.

"Yes please." Kuroko wouldn't be able to handle a mountain now.

"I don't see why not." Kise shrugged.

Aomine tiredly nodded and so did Murasakibara, having food already in his mouth. "Then it's settled. We'll depart four days from now on. It should be enough time to prepare."

"Thank goodness." Kuroko muttered under his breath, sighing deeply. Once he finished his dinner, he could barely keep his eyes open. "I'm going to bed."

"I'll wake you up early so be ready." Akashi said from the kitchen as Kuroko walked up the stairs. He doubted he would feel better after one nights sleep but it would be better than nothing.

After dinner, everyone was tired so they decided to go to bed. Kuroko especially even if he went to bed before everyone else. But for some reason he woke up in the middle of the night. He didn't hear any monsters outside nor did he hear anything going on in the house. He slowly sat up and realized his throat was dry. Maybe that's why he woke up.

He got up and stretched his arms, groaning at how his limbs were still sore. He quietly opened his door and headed for the steps. However he heard talking and stopped walking. After a second he realized it was Aomine talking. Then Kise. We're they still awake? He got down quietly and crawled to the steps to watch them talk.

Kuroko popped his head up from behind the wall to see Kise and Aomine sitting on the couches, facing each other and talking. "I still can't understand why you acted the way you did back there. Did I do something to? I'm sure it wasn't all about Tetsu."

"Well.. it was Aominicchi too." Kise admitted with a small nod. "But it's nothing. You wouldn't care.."

"I care idiot." Aomine scratched the back of his head, "I mean you were really on edge and didn't act yourself. If I did something then I wanna know what."

"That's exactly what you did." Kise suddenly said. "What you're doing now. Being completely oblivious... You don't notice anything, do you?"

"Huh?" Aomine raised a brow, "What do you mean by that? I'm not oblivious, I notice everything that's happening around me." He leaned back onto the couch, "If you mean the ambush, I really couldn't help it. I didn't see those bastards up on the roof."

Kise sighed again. His point proven! "You don't notice everything.. if you did, you'd know why I was acting like I was." With Aomine, you always had to say everything out front. And even if you do, he still might not understand.

"I do! You probably ate something that made you bitter and all!" Aomine leaned forward, "Tell me then. What did I miss?"

"You don't understand and I'm not sure if you would." Kise said. "What do you think is wrong with me? Tell me, why do you think I was acting that way?"

There was silence for a couple of minutes as Kuroko watched the two quietly. He saw Aomine lower his head, as if he was in thought, looking serious. He raised his head and turned to Kise, "I'll be honest. I don't know the exact cause but I think that Tetsu joining the group affected you quite a bit. He's a newbie and we didn't know anything about him, so it must have taken a lot to adjust to the change and keep an eye on him. We all did so I understand that. However..." He paused, looking for words before continuing.

"I'm also to blame. I missed something important and it must have hurt you. I'm sorry for that, but even when I try to figure out what it is, I really have no idea. You haven't been yourself before we were captured and it made me think that you were getting sick of me. I'll try to change so please, be yourself. The cheerful idiot Kise we all know."

Kise stared at the other before looking down. For once Aomine was actually trying to think and make him feel better. Did that mean Aomine really cared... that way? "Aominicchi... can I tell you something? Like, personal?"

Aomine gave back a look of guilt, "Of course. We've always shared secrets ever since we were kids. Why would it change now?"

Kise still hesitated but he just worked up the courage to say it. "I acted different because I.. was jealous. I saw you and Kurokocchi getting close... I thought you guys liked each other and.. I found it unfair because I liked you first.."

"L-Like? Well, I do like Tetsu, he's a cool guy but we've known each other much longer. I doubt our relationship would change or break just because Tetsu came in. I like you as well, although you whine a lot, I do." Aomine said but Kise doubted he understood the meaning of the word 'like'. He misunderstood!

"I don't mean like as in friends!" Kise was too tired of hiding and Aomine's clueless mind. "I mean much more than that!"

"Much more?" Aomine stared at Kise but soon realised what he meant, "You love me?"

"Yes. All this time, yes. But you've been too oblivious to notice since you were with Kurokocchi." Kise frowned. "So.. what do you say?"

Aomine stared at the other with wide eyes, still processing what Kise had just told him. He had loved him all this time? Aomine didn't know what to say or feel. How did he fail to see it?

Aomine turned before leaning down on the couch. The room soon turned quiet again until Aomine finally gathered his thoughts and turned back to face the blonde, "I'm sorry. I can't return those feelings."

Kise was at a loss of words for a long while. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he felt. Anger? Embarrassed? "I.. I see.."

"But... I really want us to stay the way we are. Even if we don't have that kind of a relationship, I still trust you with my life and that won't change." Aomine didn't know what to say but felt that no words needed to be said. "I'm sorry."

Kise still didn't know what to say, almost like the reality of it didn't hit him yet. "I-I guess.." He slowly laid down and turned over, his back facing Aomine. Kuroko decided that was enough snooping and returned to his room without getting his water.

That night Kuroko found it hard to sleep and not because of the monster's voices or anything like that but because of what he had overheard. Aomine's words were still ringing in his ears. He tried to cover them but no matter what he did, those words repeated within his mind _I'm sorry, I can't return those feelings._

Since he never loved before, he never had to work up the courage to ask someone out or tell them his feelings. Was it really that hard? With all the romance novels he read, it seemed like the other person always returns the feelings to those who confessed...

He didn't know about how he felt yet, but if he liked Akashi and confessed... would he be rejected? Kuroko felt scared at the thought. He didn't want to go through that embarrassment. What if Akashi thought he was some kind of creep for liking him? He really didn't want to get rejected by the person he liked.

With those thoughts lingering around him, Kuroko tried to close his eyes and force himself to sleep. However, much to his annoyance, it didn't work and he had kept on looking at the white ceiling above him as the sun suddenly started rising above the horizon.

Seeing the sun, Kuroko knew what that means. He covered his head with his blanket, groaning in annoyance. Akashi would be coming in soon to get him up for his daily torture.

And as he expected, the doors suddenly opened to reveal the redhead himself. As he approached the bed and pulled on Kuroko's blanket, he was surprised to see that he was awake, "Ohh? And here I thought you would be in deep sleep after yesterday's training. Did something happen?"

Kuroko considered telling Akashi the truth, but it wasn't his place to tell him. It was something personal too, something he shouldn't have overheard. "No.. nothing happened."

"Then get up. I'll be waiting outside." He let go of the blanket before walking out the doors.

Kuroko really didn't want to get up. He wondered what would happen if he just laid in bed. Not wanting to risk more punishment, he got up anyway and went outside to meet Akashi.

Once out, Akashi didn't waste time to start the training. Just like yesterday, Kuroko had done warm ups before focusing on today's quota. "Today we'll focus on defence. However, since you have a weak body, you won't be able to sustain any hits so you'll have to dodge all of the opponent's attacks. I want you to incorporate misdirection into your defence as well. Are you ready?"

"Sure.." Kuroko mumbled, already feeling tired from the warm ups. He wasn't even going to last a week under these new harsh conditions.

Kuroko tried to defend but almost all of his attempts were in vain. Akashi would surprise him by landing attacks in places Kuroko least expected. Even though his defence was poor, Kuroko did manage to dodge about two times, barely... But even so, it was improvement.

"We're done for today. I hope you'll have enough energy for scavenging."

Kuroko didn't respond and just nodded. If he wanted him to have enough energy to scavenge, he wouldn't have tired him out like this. "I'll try my best.."

Akashi folded his arms but just then the doors of the house opened to reveal the rest of the group. "We're ready to go." Midorima spoke for the group as they walked towards them.

Kuroko looked over at the group. When he remembered what happened last night, he looked over at Kise. The other seemed down. Its like he's not even hiding it. Aomine looked awkward and refused to look Kise's way. They said they'd still be friends, but they sure weren't acting like it.

"Alright, we'll split into two groups again." Soon everyone remembered Takao and now that he's gone, they'll have to change the groups. "We'll split up into groups of three. I, Midorima and Murasakbara will form one group while Kuroko, Kise and Aomine form the other. We'll meet back here in 3 hours. Understood?"

"Um.." Kise finally spoke up. "Can we change up the groups please?" Everyone looked at him with a little confusion. Why would Kise want to switch? Only Kuroko knew why.

Akashi looked at Kise and noticed that the other wasn't being himself. Since he saw him in the morning, sitting on the couch, Akashi knew that something didn't seem right. While Aomine was asleep, the other had been awake when Akashi walked down the stairs. The redhead is always the first one to wake up so when he noticed Kise wide awake, he was quite surprised. Not only Kise, but Kuroko was awake too, which led Akashi to suspect that something really did happen.

"Alright, Kise and I'll switch. Is that better?"

"Yes." Kise said with a small nod. "Thank you." He said simply and walked over to Murasakibara and Midorima. Kuroko glanced at Aomine but the other wasn't even looking. He knows Kise has been rude with him, but he hoped the two at least acted like friends like they said they were going to do.

"I want everyone back in 3 hours. Dismissed." And so the two groups parted ways to search for supplies. They headed opposite ways to ensure they don't cover the same area.

"So we're searching for food right?"

"Yes but also anything else that'll help us get by."

Kuroko wondered if he should ask Aomine anything. He was concerned for his friend, but it might raise suspicion if he asked... "Aomine-kun, are you alright?" Kuroko asked anyway.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Aomine replied but to Kuroko it sounded like he didn't even think about the question. As if his mind was somewhere else.

Kuroko didn't reply and just nodded. He glanced at Akashi before looking ahead. "If there's anything ever bothering you, you can tell me Aomine-kun."

"Yeah" but he received the same empty answer. Kuroko began to worry and was about to say more, until he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Let him be. We need to focus on the task at hand."

Kuroko looked back at Akashi. Didn't the other care? That was a foolish question. Of course Akashi cared. If Aomine needed space, then he needed space. "Okay.. Sorry."

Akashi moved his hand, "No need to apologise." He turned to look in front where the skyscrapers were standing high. Since they were in the suburbs, it would take them quite a while to reach the city center where all the goods are. They wouldn't be able to make it in time... Akashi looked around for anything they could use but then he suddenly got an idea.

Akashi walked over to an abandoned car before taking out something from his pocket and kneeling down to play with the lock. Aomine and Kuroko watched in confusion, "What're you doing?" Aomine asked just as Akashi had opened the doors. He didn't go in but reached out under the wheel, hitting the interior before some plastic had broken off and fell off, making wires of all kinds fall down.

Kuroko watched curiously, wondering what Akashi was doing as well. When he saw him messing with the wires, it hit him. "Do you know how to hotwire a car?"

Akashi smirked as he worked his magic with the wires. It wasn't long before the two heard the engine starting up, resonating throughout the entire neighbourhood. Akashi stood up before jumping into the driver's seat. "Get in."

The two stared before moving to get in. Kuroko thought Aomine would immediately go for the passenger seat, but he just got in from the closest door. Kuroko just went around and got in from the passenger seat. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"Who knows~" Akashi teased before he put the car in motion. Luckily the car had enough fuel for the way there and the way back, which is the problem for most vehicles. They either didn't have fuel or had tires or parts missing which people took most probably for fire.

Kuroko idly wondered what Akashi learned and how he grew up when he was younger. He never thought he'd meet someone who could hotwire a car... "Well at least we don't have to walk."

"Now that I think about it, perhaps we should throw you out of the car. Some running would do you good for your stamina." Kuroko froze upon those words.

"Please don't.. I don't know if I could.." Kuroko looked over at Akashi.

"Hmm~ Then you'll have to work much harder during the training in compensation. You have yet to land a solid hit on me." The car slowly entered the city with skyscrapers surrounding them.

"Maybe because we were working on defense today, not offense?" Kuroko signed under his breath.

"That's no excuse and for that, I'll sextuple your training."

"Akashi-kun, please don't add anymore! I won't be able to keep doing training then spend the day scavenging." Kuroko stressed. "If a bandit or one of the day creatures come, I'll be too exhausted to do anything."

"If you were too tired to run I would have left you home, however, as I see you right now, you're not as tired so don't complain." Akashi said as he turned at the intersection, spotting what seems like a mall in the distance.

Kuroko clenched his hands but didn't say anything else. Sure he might be complaining but when did he ever get a chance to complain any more since this apocalypse? Then again, when did he ever complain before it? He felt like Akashi was starting that "teenage rebellious" phase in him.

The car stopped before a large skyscraper that seemed to be a large mall, "We're going into the mall. We might be able to find something of use inside." Akashi said as he shut down the car's engine and got out, Aomine and Kuroko following him. "Looks pretty big." Aomine said as they entered, seeing just how large the inside is and how many shops there are.

"The first floor seems to have a supermarket. That's our first stop."

"Should we stay together? Should we split up?" Kuroko asked. "We might be able to get more that way right?"

"We're not splitting up. I don't want a repeat of Tokyo." If he had to choose between the supplies and his group, its obvious which one he would chose. "Come on let's go. If we waste time here then we won't be able to gather as much as we can."

"Alright, alright." Kuroko sighed but didn't argue. They just went into the supermarket but before they could start deciding what to search first, they heard distanced barking. Barking? Kuroko peeked out the supermarket and saw a puppy running in the distance. What is he running towards? Or.. What was he running from?

Right after the puppy, two of the day light creatures were chasing after the poor puppy. "Akashi-kun, there's a real dog.. And it's being chased. What do we do?"

"Leave it be. We can't risk our lives to save it."

Kuroko wasn't expecting that kind of reply. "But it's a real animal. And its a baby!" It didn't even have a chance to live yet. It didn't look too old so maybe it had been born just as this all started.

When Akashi just shook his head and walked further into the supermarket, kuroko didn't know what to do. Yes Akashi's first priority is the group, but he wouldn't even try to help a defenseless pup? Maybe it was because he always liked animals or maybe it was because Akashi made him angry earlier, but instead of following the two into the market, he ran after the pup being chased.

He didn't look back when Akashi yelled after him. He just focused on the creatures ahead and getting his crossbow ready. He wasn't just going to let a poor puppy die!

He turned the corner and saw that the creatures got the pup trapped against a wall to a store. Not good for the pup, but it was good for Kuroko. Since the creatures were distracted, he easily shot one. It fell down while the other turned in surprise. Then it growled and lunged for an attack. Kuroko kicked it away, knowing they go for the legs most of the time. It just got up when kuroko shot at it, killing it like the other. Well, that was easy.

He looked at the pup who still seemed scared. He smiled a little in hopes of calming it down. It was a cute pup. He wished he could keep it... However he didn't know the first thing about taking care of dogs. He never had one before.

He started walking away until he heard claws click on the ground. He turned around and saw the pup a few feet behind him. Kuroko took another step. The puppy took another step. Great.

"Tetsu!" Aomine and Akashi ran after the other but when they reached him, Akashi was furious. "What do you think you're doing? Do you realise the danger you're putting us in?" His tone of voice was enough to know just how mad he was.

"You wouldn't have been danger if you didn't follow me." Kuroko said. "It was just two of those daylight things, why did you follow me?" He asked, feeling a bit irritated as well.

"Did you expect us to just stand by while you go out to fight the monsters? What if there were more of them nearby? Not to mention that you don't have a weapon like Aomine and the rest, what would you have done if your weapons weren't enough to take them down?" Akashi raged as he approached Kuroko.

"I faced them before, I know my weapon is perfectly capable. I know I don't have amazing weapons like Aomine-kun or the ability to control monsters like you, but I'm tired of being the one getting in the way!" The training they've been doing has been doing nothing but tiring him. He wasn't improving at all. "I'm not weak like you think I am. Just because I can't hit you in sparring doesn't mean I can't fight even a daylight monster."

"It's not whether you can take them on or not, but its your rash actions that I'm talking about. What if the situation was different and there were more of them? Even the three of us wouldn't be able to take them or by ourselves. You ran off without thinking about your own safety and ours. Do you realise how irresponsible that is?"

"Okay, I know I'm stupid and irresponsible and too naive! Just give me my punishment like I know you will so we can just get on with searching for supplies for your group." Kuroko grumbled. "Let me guess, no dinner? You'll multiply my training again? Kick me out the group?"

"Tetsu calm do-"

"We're going back."

"What?" Aomine raised a brow.

"We're going back home."

"W-Why? We didn't fine anything yet." Aomine asked but didn't want to say more than that.

"We can't continue like this. Its best we return home." Akashi glared holes into the bluenette before turning around. "Let's go."

Kuroko glared back when Akashi's back was turned. Aomine and Akashi started walking but Kuroko waited for there to be some distance between them before he followed. He heard the pup follow but he didn't say anything. He didn't even look back at the pup. He was just too angry at the moment to care.

As the three were leaving, red eyes followed their every move. The eyes moved from Akashi to Aomine and then finally onto Kuroko as they were leaving the mall. The man that was hidden in the shadows smiled before disappearing into the darkness.

Kuroko glanced at Akashi up ahead as they eventually left the mall. "Since you wanted me to run earlier, why don't I just do that now? That way I can be tired out _again_ and won't be able to have the energy to defend myself should anything come around." He muttered.

Akashi didn't say anything as they all got into the car and he worked with the wires to get the car to start again. As Kuroko got in, the puppy followed and jumped after him but Akashi was too furious to care. The car finally started up before it drove away in the direction of the house.

The ride was very quiet, apart from small pants that the dog was letting out while brushing its head against Kuroko's lap. Kuroko patted its head but kept looking at Akashi while Aomine who was sitting beside the redhead tilted his head to the side to spare a glance at Kuroko. Could the situation get any more awkward?

They finally arrived at the house with Akashi parking the car right in front of the house. They got in and as soon as they did, the small puppy made itself at home by running around the house and barking.

"Aomine, you and Kuroko stay here. I'm going to see if I can find any supplies."

"What, you think I can't handle the house on my own?" Kuroko grumbled but didn't say anything further. He just walked away from the two to see what that pup was doing. Hopefully it wasn't using the bathroom in the house.

The two watched Kuroko leave before Aomine turned to Akashi. "But you can't go alone. What if someone attacks?" Akashi is never one to risk like this.

"I don't have a choice. If we have Kuroko stay here alone, he might go outside without telling us. I can't have him ambushed or attacked."

"Yeah but what about you? Doesn't the same apply to you?"

Akashi looked down before softly smiling but Aomine could tell that the smile was not genuine, on the contrary, made to mask his true emotions. "I'll be alright. I'm a monster after all."

Aomine stood in place as Akashi closed the door and left.

Kuroko found the pup in "his" room, smelling around. Did he like his scent or something? He kneeled down, getting the pups attention and making the pup walk over to him. "I wasn't in the wrong, right?" He asked the pup as if it could talk. "I mean, does he really think I can handle all this training then scavenging? I'm not strong or smart, I'm not capable of handing so many things... Plus I'm worried about Kise-kun and Aomine-kun. I'm worried about everyone." The pup tilted his head in confusion.

Kuroko picked up the pup and held him close. "I want breaks once in a while, you know? I never got to live, even before this "subject 4" or "apocalypse" started." He squeezed the pup a little, making it whimper with discomfort. "Takao-kun just died, I figured out my parents were apart of this mess, and now I'm screwing things up again... What do I do?" He lifted the pup to look into its eyes. The pup just stared then barked once. Kuroko sighed and sat the pup down. "I know, I know. I am stupid. Sometimes I feel like I'm more dangerous than the monsters. Maybe I'm the bigger monster."

Kuroko decided to stay in his room and lay down in his bed with the puppy snuggling close to him. After a while, he heard noises downstairs, noise of the doors opening as well. Kuroko stood up from bed, opening the doors before going down the stairs to see everyone. The puppy followed and ran down, surprising the others.

"W-What is this?" Midorima dropped his bag of supplies when the puppy barked and startled him.

"Hmmm~ Can we eat him?"

"No, you can't." Kuroko said sternly. He picked up the pup and held him close. "We don't have to resort to animals yet."

Murasakibara pouted while Midorima picked up his bag from the floor, "Are you planning to keep it?"

"I don't know what I'm doing. It just followed me home." Kuroko shrugged. "It's up to Akashi-kun anyway.. he's the leader."

They looked around, "Where's Akashi anyway?"

"He's-" Aomine stood up to answer the question but was interrupted when the doors opened to reveal the said redhead with a big bag. "It seems everyones back. Did you have some luck?"

"We got a few things." Kise decided to speak up as he set his bag down. "I think I'm going to go up though. I'm thinking about changing my clothes." But as the blonde headed upstairs, he didn't take his supplies or any clothes with him. It was obvious that it was just an excuse to get away from the others. Or more specifically, Aomine.

Kuroko held the pup as he looked at Kise until he disappeared upstairs. Then he slowly turned to look at Akashi. He didn't say anything but he did look down, feeling ashamed in himself for putting Akashi at risk.

"I, Midorima and Murasakibara will sort out the supplies. The rest of you can rest." Akashi said as the three of them took the bags and went into the kitchen. When they did, Aomine walked over to his couch, throwing himself on it and putting a hand on his forehead.

Kuroko slowly walked over to Aomine and sat down by the couch. "Are you okay Aomine-kun..?"

"I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind, don't worry about it Tetsu."

"...If I'm one of those things on your mind, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap today. I'm just tired and sore... but that shouldn't be an excuse. I put you guys in danger." Kuroko held the pup tightly, making him whimper again. "I didn't even apologise to Akashi-kun yet. I feel like an apology isn't enough."

Aomine sighed, "It's not that you put us in danger but also yourself. Akashi was really concerned when you just ran like a mad man after the puppy. You were so focused on saving the puppy that you were blinded and didn't see other things around you. I mean if there really were more monsters around, you would have been killed."

Aomine moved his hand away from his face to look at the ceiling, "Sorry, I'm not really the one who should be lecturing you." Since Aomine got into a lot of trouble in the past as well, in very similar situations like Kuroko did today. "I just think you don't know Akashi that well." He sighed again, "I'll shut up now."

"You don't need to." Kuroko said. "And I know. I don't know anyone. Even you. You're friendly with me yeah, but all I know about you is that you're perverted and a meat lover." He sighed and sat the pup down. "I'm going to go apologize. I'll take whatever punish he gives me. I deserve it for endangering us."

"Maybe you should take your time? I mean apologise a bit later to think things through?" Aomine suggested, "Besides, if you go now, you'll definitely be punished, and I don't know if you can handle that when you're so tired."

"Okay..?" Kuroko didn't see why he should prolong the apology but just went along with it. He really didn't want to get punished so if waiting prevented that, then he'd wait.

"Well, if you want to go then go but then you'll face the punishment. I warned you." Aomine yawned, turning around so that his back faced Kuroko.

Kuroko decided to wait like Aomine suggested. He didn't want punishment. He supposed he could apologize before they go to bed or tomorrow morning.

Dinner was soon served as they all gathered in the kitchen and began to eat. They exchanged information on the area and what they saw that could potentially help them. Midorima and his group spotted a sports shop which had ski equipment and many warm coats. However, since the had a lot to carry already, they decided to hide it so that they can come back for it tomorrow.

They discussed the weather and how they should depart when the weather is clear, not rainy or cloudy which could hinder them out on the mountain. After that soon came the question of where they could take refuge when they climb up and luckily, they managed to find some tourist leaflets that had all the information they need. Now came the last question, what to do with the puppy?

"Do you intend to keep it Kuroko?" Akashi asked as he faced the bluenette.

"I don't know.. the decision is up to you I guess. You're the leader." Kuroko said, looking down at the puppy who was sitting at his feet. He leaned down and softly petted him. "Anything but eating him I'm fine with.."

"We won't eat him, that I can guarantee." Akashi took a spoonful of tuna and ate it, "However, can you take care of it? It needs dog food which we don't have, not to mention water that we barely have." Back in Tokyo they had stocked up on a lot of water bottles but after the ambush, they lost it all. "I will let you keep it if you so wish but you'll have to somehow provide for it."

Kuroko didn't know if he was ready to take care of a dog, a puppy at that. But it was just a baby... it didn't know how to take care of itself. It doesn't have the strength to do it either. "Alright alright. I'll figure something out."

"Bare in mind that you can't take anything from our supplies, not to mention going out alone to look for dog food."

Kuroko sighed and nodded. "Alright I understand. I'll find dog food okay?"

"Not alone you can't. If we find it during our scavenging hunts then you're going to take it."

"I understand okay?" Kuroko insisted once more. "During our scavenging I'll drop by a pet store or something. I doubt much dog food had been stolen. Not unless people got that desperate."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Aomine muttered as he gulped down a piece of bread.

Kuroko glanced at Aomine worriedly but didn't say anything. He looked back at Akashi before down at his food. "A-After dinner.." He started quietly. "Can we talk, Akashi-kun?"

Akashi opened one of his closed eyes to look at Kuroko, "Alright." He said before taking another bite from his food. After that the dinner was rather quiet. Kise tried not to meet Aomine's eyes while Kuroko avoided Akashi's, creating awkward silence and tension in the air.

When dinner was done, Akashi helped clean up while Kuroko sat on the couch to wait for him. When Akashi was done and Kuroko went up to him, he told the other to go into his room where they could talk without the others listening in. They went up the stairs, Akashi holding the doors for Kuroko and then when he had entered, closed the doors, leaving them alone in the room with only the puppy managing to sneak in with Kuroko, brushing his head against his legs like a cat.

Kuroko sat down on the bed and picked the puppy up to pet him. "I just... I want to apologize. For earlier. I really was being a big idiot and I put all of us in danger. And afterwords, I'm sorry I snapped too. I was tired and wasn't thinking straight…"

Akashi was leaning on the door with his hands folded in front of his chest, "Do you think an apology will compensate for it?"

"No. That's why I'll accept any punishment or work you have for me. Even if it's multiplying my training.. again." Kuroko murmured, hanging his head to show his shame.

There was silence in the room as the little puppy whined, feeling the tension in the air. That is until Akashi pushed himself from the door and walked over to Kuroko. The bluenette looked up but as he did, he felt two hands on his pushing him down onto the bed. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Akashi hovering above him, looking into Kuroko's eyes as he tightened his grip on Kuroko's wrists. "I don't see the sincerity. You're apologising as if you don't feel guilty at all."

"I-I do feel guilty!" Kuroko insisted. "I said those awful things to you and I put us all in danger! I really do feel sorry and I want to make it up to you." He promised. "Please, believe me."

"I don't. Perhaps I would have believed you if you took your time before apologising to reflect on your actions but not now when you apologise right away. It makes me think you didn't reflect on it at all." Akashi's and Kuroko's eyes met.

Why didn't Akashi believe him? Since when did it have to take a day to realize you messed up? He's seen his mistake and wanted to make up for it. What more does Akashi want? "You hate me." Kuroko simply whispered. "You don't believe me even though I truly feel terrible..." He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at him anymore.

Akashi smirked, "I hate how clumsy you are, I hate how you don't think before acting, I hate how you make rash decisions, I hate how you don't think about your safety and I hate your low confidence. I don't hate you as a person but I'll let you decide if you trust me on that or not. However..." He leaned in closer, "I don't feel the sincerity in you. It would take time for most people to realise their mistakes and learn from them but you did in just a day? Are you telling me you're an android or a supernatural being?"

"Its possible when it comes down to you!" Kuroko opened his eyes again. He felt hurt with Akashi's words and the fact that he didn't believe him. "If you knew how I felt about you, you'd realise why I realized my mistake! I realized my mistake once you left to search for supplies!" He hiccuped a little, trying to quell his emotions. "...If you don't believe me, then I'll just keep saying it until you do. I really do feel terrible. I'm not heartless.."

Akashi pushed himself up a bit so that he could see Kuroko's face, still restraining the other, "You might feel terrible but you haven't reflected on it, and that's what I'm worried about. What if it happens again? If it does... I won't be able to forgive you." Akashi's eyes began to glow as the sun slowly started disappearing behind the horizon. "I'm aware of your feelings. Well, better say that I have a theory about it but I'm confident in it."

Kuroko watched the other above him, sniffing a little. Akashi wouldn't understand. He couldn't know how he felt. If he did, he wouldn't be hurting him like this. "Tell me then.. tell me what you think I feel."

Akashi's smirk widened as he locked gazes with the teal blue eyes, "Attraction. You're attracted to me. Your face turns red when I touch you and you behave differently when I interact with you than you do with the others. I say some things that the others have no problems with, while you do. You're usually calm but when I say something you disagree with, you try to persuade me to change my mind, bursting your calm bubble." Akashi paused, letting the words sink in before going on.

"You worry about my injuries more than necessary, but first and foremost... you kissed me. You chose to kiss me while there were other options for you to 'shock' me as you wanted to in order to make me come back to my senses." Akashi paused again, coming to a conclusion.

"You love me."

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** I'd write a long note but I' a hurry. Sorry!

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Sorry... I can't write a note this week as well... Hope u enjoy the chapter.

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	16. File 16

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Kuroko stared at Akashi with complete shock. Was it that obvious? He felt his cheeks heat up and he turned his head away. "I-I can't help it.. I'm sorry if you don't like me being attracted to you.." He thought back to Aomine rejecting Kise and flinched. He didn't want to get rejected, but he knew Akashi didn't like him back. "C-Can we just please.. forget about how I feel?"

"Forget?" Akashi couldn't help but chuckle in amusement, "How can we forget about it? After all, it's the core of our relationship. It affects our every interaction." He leaned closer to the other's face, "Even now. See? Your face is red again." Akashi leaned down to touch Kuroko's forehead with his, "You're warm as well. Do I intrigue that much?"

Kuroko glanced at the other and frowned. "I-I.. I don't.. want to be rejected.. That's why I didn't say anything. It's the apocalypse, we don't have time for relationships but.. I-If I die, I don't want to die without loving someone.. and that turned out to be you b-but.. I don't even know if you're straight or not or.. if you even like me.."

"Before you die, you would like to love someone? Isn't it suppose to be the other way around? Most people would want to be loved instead."

"Who would love me though? I thought only my parents did and.." He trailed off and even turned his head away. "You said it yourself. I'm clumsy, I make rash decisions, I have low confidence.. Who could love a person like that?"

"Hmm... good point. Who would?" Akashi's words hurt Kuroko much more than he would have ever thought. "I'm sorry but its just as you've feared Kuroko, I can't return those feelings." Those words he knew would be said... "As for the reason... You see, even though I'm knowledgeable about many things, there's a certain area I lack in and that is love. I've never been loved and never loved anyone back. I've grown up to be dependent only on myself and myself only. It's a harsh world out there that takes no prisoners. Should you show a weak emotion such as love, you would be dead in an instant."

Akashi's hands slowly trailed up from Kuroko's hands onto his neck, gently gripping it, "Imagine living in constant fear for your life. Left to fend for yourself out in the streets at the mercy of other people. Beg for food, have other people take out their frustrations on you as they beat you without mercy." Akashi's hands slowly tightened their grip as his eyes became clouded.

"Human greed..."

An image suddenly flashed across Akashi's eyes. An image showing greedy men with prostitutes as well as obese men and women driving luxurious cars, having all kind of jewelry and luxurious clothing on them.

"The selfishness..."

Another image flashes before him, showing a five your old Akashi sitting on a street with a small torn hat before him containing about five coins of five yen. That is until a group of laughing boys walked by and took it as if it was nothing.

"The world is a cruel place. Emotion such as love doesn't exist in it. Only human greed and hidden intentions."

Kuroko felt fear fill him when he felt the hands on his neck tightened. It reminded him of the other Akashi... But luckily Akashi's words distracted him. Perhaps Akashi was right... He sounded like he had such a horrible past. While Kuroko wasn't sure if his parents loved him or not, Akashi knew he never received love. That was until now.

Now that his hands are free, he could push Akashi off and leave... but he wouldn't dare do that. He promised to himself that from now on, he'd never leave Akashi. He reached up, grasping Akashi's face into his hands. He hoped Akashi wouldn't choke him after this... He leaned up and suddenly kissed Akashi just like the other times he he'd done it.

Akashi was startled as Kuroko pushed him down and captured his lips into a kiss, waking him up from his daze. Akashi's eyes remained wide as the kiss was broken, staring at Kuroko in confusion but also surprise as his grip on Kuroko's neck weakened.

"You are loved!" Kuroko said once he broke the kiss. "I don't know what you went through, but it's over now. You told me that all my past pain is over, that I'm safe with you guys. It's the same for you. I know you can't love me back, but you are loved! I mean it.. I really do love you Akashi-kun.. so please, trust the group. We all love you in our own ways."

"Love...huh?" Akashi moved his hands away from Kuroko's neck, placing them on either side of Kuroko's head to lean against, "Do you really think that after all these years, I would say that I believe in love? After everything I've been through you want me to believe in such a foolish concept as love? True love doesn't exist. It's only told in fairy tales to help get the children to sleep, there's nothing more to it."

"You can't decide what I feel!" Kuroko insisted. "Love exists, Akashi-kun. It doesn't have to be romantic either. You care about your group like family right? That's like a love in itself. They love you too. I love you too. Akashi-kun, please at least consider its existence. If you do, you'll see how much you're really loved."

"I refuse to accept it. The bond I and everyone else share is that of trust. We trust each other with our lives and based on that, we help each other survive. There is no love, only mutual goal of survival. Isn't that why you've joined the group as well?"

"That is a reason, but another reason is because I didn't want to be alone. I wanted to be with people I could relate with, people I could learn to trust and love." Kuroko frowned. "Trust can be a sign of love. Are you saying you don't love your group? You wouldn't have risked so much for them if you hadn't.."

Akashi didn't say anything as the room soon turned silent. The only sounds that could be heard is that of their breathing and of the puppy that was trying to jump back on the bed after being pushed down when Akashi pinned Kuroko down on the bed.

Finally after what seemed like hours, Akashi looked into Kuroko's eyes, "Let's say love really does exist. If so then would you be willing to teach me what it is? Be my guide and help me understand the true concept of what 'love' you are talking about is." Even though he said that, Akashi didn't seem convinced at all. "I'm willing to play along with your game Kuroko. After all, it's amusing seeing your reactions to my actions~"

Kuroko stared up at him with surprise. Teach him to love? How could he do that? He slowly nodded nonetheless. "Alright... I'll do it. I'll teach you how to love." He promised.

Akashi smirked, "I'll be in your care then." Now Akashi was Kuroko's fighting instructor while Kuroko was Akashi's... love instructor? It doesn't make sense but it is what it is, "So, now that you'll be teaching me how to love, I hope you don't mind if I test something, sensei~"

Test something? Why would he want to test something? He seemed so against it before... And why did he call him sensei? Kuroko slowly shrugged. "Y-You can try whatever you want?" At least this means he wanted to try thing.. right?

Akashi leaned down again, "You see, its a bit unfair that you always take advantage of me in order to kiss, even stealing my first kiss at that." He leaned in closer, gripping Kuroko's wrists again, "You'll have to compensate for that Kuroko." He leaned in closer... "Don't resist." And just as those words were said, Akashi captured Kuroko's lips into another sweet kiss. However, unlike Kuroko's kisses, Akashi was much more rough, not sparing the other at all. Akashi's brows furrowed in annoyance, breaking the kiss and raising his hand up to Kuroko's lips.

Akashi used his hand to open Kuroko's mouth as he captured the other in an even deeper kiss. Akashi didn't hold back at all as he explored the whole of Kuroko, not missing anything. When Kuroko tried to move his hand, Akashi quickly stopped him by catching his hand in his, pinning him down on the bed with no escape left to use.

If you were to compare Kuroko's innocent kisses with Akashi's, you could imagine an innocent sheep and a starving lion.

Kuroko had no idea how to react. Well his mind didn't know how to react. His body reacted pretty well. He had tried to move his hands but Akashi held them down. He lifted his legs so they were on either side of Akashi, but he couldn't do much more. He even moaned without realizing it.

He knew he probably shouldn't let Akashi do this since he knew how he felt, but he felt powerless against Akashi. Both physically and emotionally. Plus the other did order him not to resist, and he did promise to follow Akashi's orders... He tightened his hands but he didn't resist. He just closed his eyes, letting Akashi go on as he wished.

The kiss wasn't long but it wasn't short either as Akashi finally broke the kiss, saliva connecting their lops together. Akashi moved his hand, wiping the saliva from his lips before doing the same for Kuroko who was panting on the bed. Akashi watched the mess before him that is Kuroko, content and satisfied. Just like a child that had learned something new, "I see... So that's why people crave for it so much. It satisfies a certain pleasure within you and makes you crave for it more and more. Interesting."

Kuroko couldn't tell what Akashi meant by that. Was he talking about kissing or love? After gathering enough air into his lungs, Kuroko slowly sat up as much as he was allowed since Akashi was on him. "P-People also like kissing.. to show they love each other.." He panted out. "That's why.. some people like kissing and doing more…" But they wouldn't be doing more any time soon. Not until everyone was safe and Kuroko taught Akashi how to love.

Akashi was in thought, collecting his thoughts on the kiss they just shared. "To show love? In my opinion they just express their lust, desiring more and more kisses from their partner." Akashi moved his hand onto Kuroko's chest, surprising the other completely when he sneaked it in under Kuroko's shirt to touch his naked chest, "I wonder... How does this feel? Does it feel good enough to pay a large sum of cash for?" After touching Kuroko's chest, Akashi's hand moved to Kuroko's crouch, "Does this bring even more pleasure?"

Kuroko jumped at the sudden touch and moved his hands down to stop Akashi. "P-Please, don't touch down there." It wouldn't be good to have that place touched after a kiss like the one he just had. "A-And it's not all lust. It shows they trust each other to sh-show themselves in such a vulnerable state…"

Akashi couldn't help but chuckle, "I'm sorry sensei but that method won't work on me. Trying to explain those feelings in a fairy tale way is insufficient. You better change your tactics or else I won't be convinced." Akashi moved his hand again, brushing his thumb against Kuroko's lips, "I wonder which one of us will win. Will you be able to teach me to 'love', or will you give up? I'm sure you'll realise as time goes by, what kind of a person I am."

Akashi's hand moved to brush Kuroko's cheek, "Your love for me will surely fade."

"When you love someone, it's hard to give up on them. I'm the same. I won't give up on you Akashi-kun." Kuroko promised. "I'll teach you to love whether you think it's foolish or not.

Akashi smirked, hovering above Kuroko as the small puppy soon started to whine and bark because he couldn't jump up on the bed. Akashi moved to look at the pup, slowly picking him up from the ground but when he held it in his hands, the puppy's ears moved down and his tail curled, showing that he's scared. "Annoying."

"Hey, don't scare him." Kuroko said, reaching out for the pup. "He didn't do anything to you. Don't be mean."

"I'm not." Akashi raised his hand to pat the pup but didn't get to when the pup whined and snuggled closer to the buenette. Akashi sighed, feeling tired after today's training, scavenging and now this. He pushed himself down beside Kuroko before embracing the other. "Sleep here."

Kuroko looked at the other with surprise. "W-What? Sleep here?" Won't the others get suspicious. He held Nigou close, too embarrassed to look at Akashi. "Are you sure..?"

"Isn't this what you wanted? Take the chance before I change my mind." As Akashi embraced Kuroko from the back, Kuroko held the small puppy in the same manner, creating an image of a small family.

Kuroko didn't respond since he didn't want to take his chances. He just nodded and held the pup close. He needed to name him soon so he got used to a name... He closed his eyes, trying to sleep to save himself from embarrassment.

That night Kuroko found it hard to sleep, but unlike the previous one, it was for another reason. He did eventually fall asleep but he kept waking up at random hours of the night, only to realise that he was sleeping in Akashi's room. This process repeated again and again until he woke up and noticed the warmth behind him disappear.

The pup was still with him, but Akashi was gone. He slowly sat up, waking the pup in the process. The pup stretched with a yawn before looking up at Kuroko who was looking around. He still couldn't believe he slept in Akashi's room... He wondered where the other went.

Kuroko looked out the window and noticed that the sun was slowly rising up in the horizon. Since he slept in Akashi's room, the other doesn't have to go to wake him up. Did he went to do something else? Deciding to look for the other, Kuroko walked over to the doors but as he reached out his hand to twist the doorknob, the doors opened to reveal the redhead who was just as surprised as Kuroko was.

"Up already? Good morning."

"O-Oh, good morning." Kuroko said, backing up so Akashi could come in if that's what he wanted. He watched the pup leave the room, but stopped and looked back at Kuroko. The Puppy was waiting for him, how cute!

The redhead looked at the puppy before turning to Kuroko, "I presume he would like to use the bathroom. Take him out but don't go any further than the garden. After that we'll begin our training. I have something special planned for today."

Special? This could mean something really good or really bad. He nodded and quickly went past Akashi so he could let the pup out. He didn't want him to make a mess in the house! He took the pup outside quick so he could use the bathroom.

When Kuroko was done, he let the puppy back into the house before going to the usual place of their training. When he got there, he saw Akashi and Aomine waiting.

Kuroko immediately became worried when he saw Aomine. Last time Akashi included someone into their training, he had to fight them... He wouldn't be able to handle Aomine at all.

"Morning Tetsu." Aomine greeted as he stretched his arms up. "Aomine will be joining our training today. We'll have you warm up first before we can begin."

"Okay.." Kuroko made sure the puppy was sitting on the sidelines so he wouldn't get hurt. "If I may ask.. how is Aomine joining exactly? Does he need training too or..?"

"Actually I-"

"Don't ask and get moving. Talking won't help you get stronger."

Kuroko didn't push it and did his usual warm up. Starting off with 10 agonizing long laps around the house... He was always exhausted after warm ups and today was no different. But he wasn't irritated like usual since he had Aomine beside him. The other always was so cheerful (in an idiotic way) and encouraging. It was a shame he'd have to fight him.

When Kuroko was done with the warm ups, he ran up to the two who sat on the terrace, waiting for Kuroko to finish. They both stood up when Kuroko approached them, "Now we can begin. I'm sure you already know what will happen Kuroko, you'll face Aomine in combat. The one who falls down will lose while the person standing will be the winner. Nice and simple, just like last time."

Now this time if he falls, he loses? Before with Kise, it didn't matter if he fell. "But before, it didn't matter if I fell.. so if I fall once this time, I'm done?" Kuroko asked nervously.

"Yes. You fall you lose." Akashi couldn't have said it in an easier way.

Kuroko hesitated as he looked from Akashi to Aomine. How could he face someone much bigger and probably stronger than Akashi? He could barely handle Akashi, and he could bet the redhead wasn't even going head on with him. "Okay.. If those are your rules.."

"Don't worry Tetsu, I'll try to go easy on you." The other stretched some more, getting ready and getting into position. "I want you to use misdirection and aim for the pressure points. Do that and you'll win the match in a second."

"Alright.." Kuroko wasn't sure if he could do that. To him, it seems like his misdirection only works half the time since Akashi manages to always stop him. He just really wasn't cut out for fighting was he? He stood nervously, deciding to take a defensive stance. He wouldn't do any good in offense even if that's what Akashi wants him to do.

Since no one seems to be going, Aomine decided to make the first move. He ran towards Kuroko with speed that Kuroko didn't know Aomine possessed. He always saw Aomine as more of a strong type, not a fast type. He waited until last moment before attempting his misdirection. Aomine seemed shocked so Kuroko knew it worked. He moved out the way but planted his leg down firmly so Aomine tripped over it.

Aomine fell down on the ground, not even knowing how it happened. He turned to look at the two, "What just happened?" He asked but Akashi only smiled in content. "Kuroko's improvement happened. Now you'll be able to use what you've learned against real opponents, although it can still be improved."

"But.. how did it work that time?" Kuroko, the person who did the misdirection, was confused himself. "It never works when I train with you. Why.. was it so much easier this time around?"

"Didn't I tell you before that my eyes were special? Your misdirection doesn't work on me, thus you could have never landed a hit on me. However, that doesn't apply to others." Akashi folded his arms, "It's only natural you'd get stronger if your opponent is stronger than you."

Kuroko realized what Akashi said and could barely keep in his smile. Finally he didn't feel like a useless failure for once. His misdirection actually worked and he could successfully use it in battle. "Thank you Akashi-kun." He smiled happily.

"No need to thank me. It's all because of your efforts."

"Yeah, you did really well Tetsu. I knew you could do it."

"U-Um, you guys helped too.. it wasn't just me.." Kuroko murmured in embarrassment. He really felt like he didn't do anything. It was all Akashi teaching him and Aomine encouraging him.

"You did well and that's that! We should celebrate!" Aomine stood up and swung his arm around Kuroko. "We should have a party or something!"

"Party?" Did Aomine forget they were in an apocalypse? "We don't have the time or supplies to do that.. besides, I didn't do much. I just knocked you down." Kuroko said.

"Still, we should celebrate somehow!" Aomine started ruffling the other's head. "Let's head back inside. We have a long day ahead of us and hopefully one without any accidents." Akashi spared a look at Kuroko before going into the house.

Kuroko felt his good mood drop when Akashi said that while giving him a look. He was reminded of his mistake and last night and looked down. He truly did feel terrible about it and wanted to promise that he'd never do it again... But Akashi didn't believe him. He'll just try again tonight or something. "I don't know if I feel like celebrating.." He mumbled to Aomine as he started walking towards the house.

"Don't be so down." If Kuroko didn't want to celebrate then... "How about we have a treat? We take a bit of supplies from the bag and secretly have a small party? We found it right? so we have the right to take a bit to ourselves."

"If we got caught, we wouldn't be able to eat for a week. We're saving up supplies to travel up a mountain. We can't waste it on useless celebrations." Even if Kuroko said that, he wished he could have a celebration. Not for him of course. Just... a celebration. He's never been to a party and with the apocalypse, he probably never will. He just wanted everything to be normal for once... He just wanted to act like the teenager he never got to be.

"Fine..." Aomine frowned as they went into the house. It will really be a long day.

The group split up again into two groups and ventured out to find anything they can. Midorima's group decided to go back to the shop they've been to yesterday to get the warm jackets and other items they hid. Meanwhile, Akashi's group was left without the car because it didn't have anymore fuel. Although the problem was solved when Akashi found another car, used his magic and voila~ They had a ride again.

This time they didn't go to the mall but decided to try their luck in other places. They found a shopping district which had many abandoned shops and in them, supplies... hopefully. Luckily Kuroko found a pet shop as well, finding a small bag of dog food it in. It wasn't much but it will have to do for now.

After gathering what they could, the group went back to the car, loaded it before going back home.

It's amazing how one look and a few words could change Kuroko's mood so much. The whole time they were scavenging, Kuroko didn't even speak. He was afraid of messing up, plus he was still thinking about love and celebrations. Two things he apparently can't ever have now. He wasn't even happy when he found the dog food.

They returned home and put everything away. They even had enough time to sort through everything. Kuroko used some time to feed the pup too. He was sure the pup hasn't eaten in a while since he immediately scarfed down the food.

"What now?" He asked Akashi once everything was put away. They finished scavenging for the day and still had some time left before night. A lot of time compared to other busy days.

"Rest. You'll need to be rested for the days to come." Akashi went up the stairs as Aomine tugged on Kuroko's sleeve, making him turn around. "Hey Tetsu, I got something but don't tell anyone."

Kuroko gave him an odd look? What did Aomine have? He swore, if it was another "special" magazine... "What is it?" He asked quietly.

"Look." Aomine opened his backpack to reveal a bunch of chocolate stocked up in it. "We'll have our party after all. I know its not much but the expiry date is for two more months so its edible right?"

Kuroko looked at the chocolate with surprise. Chocolate! Something he hasn't thought about in so long. Something he didn't realize he missed. He looked up at Aomine before smiling a little. "You're really set on having a party... Alright. I won't disagree anymore." He wanted chocolate too!

"Alright! Ah! There are cookies too by the way~" Aomine ruffled through his bag to show it to the other. "We can have the party in your room. I'm sleeping on a couch and if anyone decides to come downstairs, they'll see us for sure."

"Alright." Kuroko nodded. "Are we having it tonight? Or when?" Now wouldn't be a good time because the other team could come back at any minute.

"We can have it tonight when everyones asleep." Aomine suggested.

"Okay. You can sneak up to my room then. Just don't wake the pup." Kuroko said. He looked down at the puppy who was by his empty food bowl, whimpering. Poor pup... but he had to wait for his next bowl. "What should I name him?"

"How about Blackie? Since he's black." Aomine went up to the pup and patted his head, and just as he did, Akashi went down the stairs. "I'll be back soon, don't wait for me."

"Oh, alright..." Kuroko said, looking at Akashi worriedly. "Please be careful Akashi-kun." He hoped there were no bandits or daytime monsters around.

Akashi gave Kuroko a look before going out and closing the doors behind him.

Kuroko stared at the door sadly, wishing Akashi could have at least replied. "And no, we're not naming him "blackie"." He told Aomine.

"Then how about Husky? Maybe that's his breed?" As Aomine pat the little pup, it lay down on the floor, exposing its tummy for Aomine to pat.

"No." Kuroko walked over and kneeled down. With Akashi leaving, that's all he could think about so it was pretty hard coming up with a name for a dog.

Aomine frowned and looked at the pup but... now that he had a closer look, he could see some starting resemblance. "His eyes are the same as yours! Don't tell me he's your brother!?"

"He's a dog! Are you indirectly calling me a mutt?!" Kuroko frowned, lightly hitting Aomine's shoulder. "What do you mean he has the same eyes as me? That's impossible."

"Ow! No I'm not! See for yourself if you don't believe me!" Aomine picked up the pup and showed it to Kuroko.

Kuroko looked at the pups eyes with a sigh. They were blue.. that was common for huskies. He just wasn't seeing it. "Yeah, I see." He decided to just go along with it. "What will you name it then?"

"Number 2. If he's Number 2 then you're Number 1, but it would be hard when we call him so we can call him Nigou. That's short for Number 2."

"...Alright. I guess it's better than "blackie"." Kuroko sighed. He petted Nigou before looking towards the door. He was worried about Akashi... "Aomine-kun... do you think you can handle the house yourself?"

"Huh? Where are you going? You know you can't go out alone."

"I'm.. It's no fair that Akashi-kun can go out alone and we can't." Kuroko wasn't complaining. He was worrying. "I'm worried about him. I know he can hold his own but.. what if something happens? What if he turns? What if he gets attacked? He may be leader, but he shouldn't be allowed to go out alone either.."

"I feel ya Tetsu but knowing Akashi he couldn't have gotten far. He knows the dangers so that's why he's probably somewhere nearby. If something happens, I'm sure he can handle it on its own." Akashi isn't the one to risk, although Aomine did worry as well.

Kuroko remembered what Akashi said about acting without thinking and being reckless.. but he was thinking. And he was thinking, 'I sure don't want Akashi-kun hurt'.

"I'm sorry Aomine-kun.. look I'll just find him then come back before he realizes." Kuroko promised. "I just need to make sure he's okay."

"Wait Tet-" Aomine called after the bluenette but it fell on deaf ears as the other went out the doors in a hurry. Aomine sighed, picking the puppy up to look at him. "Your owner is rude." The puppy barked before licking Aomine's face.

Kuroko left the house quick so Aomine didn't stop him. He hoped the other group wasn't returning. He ran into the shadows of other houses and tried to think of where Akashi could've gone. He wouldn't go out for supplies since there wouldn't be many supplies around here... He peeked out from behind the houses. He spotted a pretty tall hill that was close to the mountain, but not quite apart of it. Maybe that could help him spot Akashi from above?

Looking around to make sure the other group wasn't close, he made his way along the back yards of houses towards the hill. It might even be high enough to see towards the city if he needed to. But he doubted Akashi would go that far. Once he made it to the hill, he started the dreadful process of climbing it. This was really a workout!

Finally he made it to the top after who knows how long. He panted and flopped down on the top. He never wanted to climb something like that again, but soon he had to climb a whole mountain? How was he ever going to get by? He turned over onto his stomach and scoped out the area. Akashi, Akashi... no signs of Akashi yet. But he did spot a beautiful lake! He forgot that this place had a beautiful lake people loved to visit for peaceful days out. He sighed, wishing he could go down there and... bathe?

As he looked closer, he noticed someone was down there, literally bathing. That someone had bright red hair. And who did Kuroko know that had hair like that? He leaned forward more on the hill, shocked by the sight. The hill wasn't close enough to get him spotted, but it wasn't too far away to the point where he couldn't see most details on Akashi's body...

He shouldn't stare, he shouldn't stare!.. He tried to look away but it's not like he'd get caught... and it's not like he could see anything! Well, not exactly...? Kuroko blushed at his own thoughts and kept watching Akashi wash himself in the lake.

Kuroko watched the redhead wash himself with a blush. Even though he couldn't see clearly, he could imagine. He watched and watched, however, Akashi suddenly tilted his head to the side, his crimson eyes staring directly into Kuroko's direction and at him. Busted.

He nearly had a panic/heart attack when he realized Akashi spotted him. He quickly got up and looked down the hill. His only chance now was to run back home and pretend he never saw anything. Hopefully Akashi would just think he's crazy or something and imagined him on that hill.

Taking his chances, Kuroko carefully ran down the hill then straight home. When he got inside, he startled nearly everyone with how quick he opened the door. He didn't say anything and just rushed to his room, his face red. Nigou followed him and he did let him in his room, but no one else.

Kuroko ran to his bed and threw himself on it, covering his head with the pillow in embarrassment. Akashi saw! but it can't be that bad can it? Maybe it was too far away to see? But then again with Akashi you never know... Kuroko hit himself with the pillow, not wanting to face the world right now. Not now when his face was tomato red.

Soon enough night came which left Kuroko wondering if the said redhead had made it back home.

Kuroko decided to take his chances and head downstairs. He didn't see Akashi immediately which worried him. It was nearly completely dark outside. "D-Did Akashi-kun come home yet?" He asked Aomine quietly.

The tanned teen was laying down on the couch, turning around when Kuroko asked him the question. he turned but didn't reply, only raising his hand to point his finger behind the bluenette. Kuroko blinked, slowly turning around to see what Aomine was pointing at but before he did, a hand found its way onto Kuroko's shoulder.

"Hello Kuroko." It was none other than the redhead himself.

Kuroko heard the voice and couldn't bring himself to turn around. His cheeks were already burning without his consent. "H-Hello Akashi-kun... D-Did anything happen while you were out..?"

"I don't know, you tell me." Akashi leaned in closer to Kuroko's ear, "Did you perhaps see something you shouldn't have seen?"

"N-No! Not at all!" Kuroko said quickly, looking at Aomine for help. "A-Actually, we named the puppy today!" He said to change the subject.

"Yeah. We named him Nigou. Tetsuya Nigou or Number 2." Aomine leaned down to pick up the puppy and put him on his stomach. "Number 2? Who's Number 1 then?" Akashi wondered but when Aomine pointed to Kuroko, it was all clear. "I can see the similarity."

"See! Their eyes are completely the same!"

"Just because his eyes are blue doesn't mean we're the same!" Kuroko pouted. He really didn't see the similarities! But he was glad Aomine helped because he really didn't want to face Akashi's wrath.

"You can't get out of this. I'll deal with you later." Akashi whispered those feared words before moving away, "Let's eat. Dinner's ready."

Kuroko didn't know if he wanted to eat dinner since he's have to be in the same room as Akashi, but he couldn't just skip out on a meal. Everyone went into the kitchen to eat their usual dinner. Now that supplies were being found, they were able to eat just a bit more than usual again, but Akashi still insisted that they shouldn't waste too much before their mountain expedition.

They all at dinner in peace, well except for Kuroko, but all in all, it was peaceful. That is until they were all startled by a loud knock on the door in the middle of the night. They all stood up from their seats, running to the windows to see the intruder, however, since it was night, they couldn't see anything.

Akashi walked over to the doors and looked through the peephole to see a male, about the same age as them standing before the doors, nervously looking around him as if to see if any monsters are nearby.

"Who is it?"

"Another survivor."

"What will we do?"

Akashi and the rest were hesitant but in the end the decision was left up to the redhead. Akashi held the doorknob in his hand and when he had made the decision, he turned it, opening the doors to stare down at the intruder. "What do you want?"

The intruder, a short brunette who was practically the same size as Kuroko, looked up at the redhead. If he was nervous before, he was terrified now. The other was glaring knives at him as soon as he opened the door! The intruder was too petrified to speak, just shaking in front of Akashi.

Akashi stared down at the other, his sharp crimson eyes slightly glowing in the darkness as they focused on the bruenette before him. "I won't repeat myself." Akashi's venomous voice asked but it was then that the other had noticed a gun pointing at him, "What do you want?"

The color on the other's face drained once he saw the gun. The immediate fear of being shot filled his mind and he actually stepped back, reconsidering his choice. But then he remembered that out there it's even worse and stepped back to where he had been. "I-I.. sh-shelter.. night.."

The whole group was watching, not that the intruder could see since the lights are off. It was very obvious that this intruder was terrified, but it's not like they could do anything. They had to let Akashi make the decision.

Akashi's gaze didn't waver as he looked down on the brunette before him, "Take shelter here?" He released the safety on his gun, "You have other vacant houses in the area, go there."

"T-This one.. has people.." Ah, Kuroko understood. He didn't want to spend a night alone in another house. He'd rather take a risk by spending a night in a camp's house. At least that way a person could feel like he wouldn't have to watch over his own back constantly.

Akashi took a step out, raising the gun up, "You'll waste our resources. Scram while you still can."

"P-Please.. I won't.. I won't use anything.." The intruder stepped back. "A-And it's already night.."

Akashi noticed the other shaking but he didn't know if it was because of the fear or the cold. The clouds are gathering up... looks like it'll rain. Akashi didn't lower the gun as he faced the intruder head on, "I'll let you in but we won't give you any food or water. You'll also be tied up until we see if fit to let you go." He didn't ask if the other would agree since he has no choice in the matter. Akashi stepped back and let the other walk in.

As he stepped into the house and the other closed the doors behind him, Aomine went to work right away to pat the other to see if he had anything on him, like a gun or a knife.

As Kuroko watched, he realized that he went through the same thing. He knew what the intruder felt like but now he also knew what the group felt like. The fears of the unknown, wondering if this person would turn and kill them all or steal their supplies. Kuroko wanted to doubt it since the other was still shaking even though he was inside now, but one would never know…

As Aomine searched him, Midorima went to his backpack to get the rope. Akashi took it and tied the brunette up and then tying him up against a pole. Luckily the house had a small pole which served as decoration but also to keep the house balanced up.

Once the other was tied up, Kuroko hesitantly stepped forward. "You.. what's your name?" He asked the other softly. The other still seemed frightened so that's why he chose to speak quietly.

"...F-Furihata.. Kouki.." The other responded, watching the other's who were also watching him.

"Where did you come from? Heck why are you so scared?" Aomine kneeled down beside the other and next to Kuroko while the others went to clean up the kitchen.

"I-I used to live in Tokyo…" Furihata answered. But as to why he's scared... even he couldn't answer. It was just his nature.

"I used to live there too." Kuroko said, hoping that would get the other to ease up a bit. They couldn't get information or even talk normally if the other was so tense.

"Did you travel here? or were you here before the apocalypse happened?" Aomine wondered because Furihata seemed too scared to do anything, much less get to Shizuoka city all the way from Tokyo on his own.

"Vacation.." Furihata said, looking up at the other's. "N-Not here but.. close by. In the forest, my family and I were camping and.."

"Camping in the forest? Who does that anymore?" Aomine was never a fan of camping. Why sleep outside on the ground when you have a comfy bed back at home?

"I-It's something we enjoyed doing.." Furihata seemed to have shrinked and Kuroko sighed. "Don't be rude Aomine-kun. Some people enjoy spending time with their family no matter where they are."

"Still in a forest? Lame if you ask me." Aomine sighed.

Kuroko lightly hit Aomine's shoulder. "What did I just say?" He frowned. "Be nice alright?" He looked at Furihata who seemed down. "Don't listen to him. He's just a pervert who doesn't think before he speaks."

Furihata still didn't seem cheered up but at least he wasn't looking down anymore.

"I'm not a pervert. When will you understand Tetsu that boobs are life? They're big, just like my dreams." Now that he thought about it... He leaned closer to Furihata, "Hey want me to show you something interesting? I always carry these with me in my backpack for emergency situations like this." Aomine reached out for his bag, taking out the usual magazines.

"Hmmm... I'm guessing you would like the lolita type or maybe the rebel?"

"I-I don't.." Furhiata's face got pretty red and he seemed uncomfortable by the way he's trying to shift away from Aomine.

"Aomine-kun! Put those away!" Kuroko said. He would've grabbed the magazine's to force them back into the bag, but he didn't even want to touch them. "Not everyone is a perv like you!" He frowned.

"Okay! Okay! Geez~ You guys have no taste." Aomine frowned as he put them back in his bag. "Don't tell me you like pans as well?" Aomine glanced at Furihata who raised a brow in confusion. Seeing the other, Aomine took out another kind of a book, "Geez... Here. Since I met Tetsu, I learned that even this type of a book is necessary in my arsenal, look." He moved to sit next to the other so that he could show him the book, "See, they even have water resistant pans. Oh! Maybe you like white ones? Or maybe silver ones?"

"Aomine-kun, for the last time, I don't like pans!" Kuroko sighed.

"U-Umm.. it's.. n-nice?" Furihata reluctantly said. He didn't want to get on anyone's bad side. Especially since that redhead was so scary!

"Don't encourage him." Kuroko said towards Furihata. Knowing Aomine, he'd take it as a compliment for his collection of books.

"I knew you would like it! Now you have someone who shares your preference Tetsu!" Aomine happily said as he turned the pages, "So which one do you like? This one or this one?" The more pages he turned, the more Kuroko got annoyed. "What do you find attractive about pans anyway? Tetsu won't ever tell me."

"Aomine-kun, please, enough with the pans.." Kuroko felt too annoyed to deal with this. He was tempted to leave and go upstairs before Akashi could remember he wanted to see him, but it would be cruel to leave Furihata alone with this perv.

"Fine." Aomine frowned, "You can keep this, a present from me." He folded the magazine and pushed it into Furihata's pocket.

At least Aomine didn't force him to keep one of the more perverted ones... Kuroko sighed and stood up. "Now don't bother him Aomine-kun. Especially not about pans." He scolded.

"Pans again?" A new voice asked as they all turned around to see that it was Akashi. "What did you talk about?"

Kuroko felt his heart thump when he turned to look at Akashi. "N-Nothing.. Aomine-kun was just ranting about his pan book again.." He murmured, heading for the stairs.

Akashi watched Kuroko leave with a smirk before leaning down to face Furihata. "Maybe I should tighten those ropes? You seem too comfortable." Akashi stared dangerously. "We'll keep an eye on you at night so you don't try anything. When morning comes, you'll be thrown out so think about your plans for the future."

Furihata was once again filled with terror. This man no matter how short he was is too scary! He didn't speak but he did nervously nod his head.

Akashi smirked, "Good. Aomine, you'll have the first shift." Akashi gave the order as he went up the stairs, "I have some work to do."

Kuroko was in his room, lying on his bed as if he was going to sleep. When he heard Akashi speak to Aomine, he could tell he was coming up since his voice got closer. He frowned and covered his head with the blanket as well, as if hiding under a blanket would protect him from Akashi. He hoped the other forgot and would just go to sleep.

However, he knew that wasn't the case when the doors opened and the said redhead walked into the room. Akashi closed the doors behind him as he walked over the bed, sitting on the edge before pulling the blanket away so that he could see Kuroko's face, "Hiding? It's not very effective."

"I-I wasn't hiding.." Kuroko mumbled, looking anywhere except at Akashi. "I-I was.. trying to sleep.."

"As if I would believe that. You know very well why I came here, to talk about your little mischief at the hill."

Kuroko frowned and shook his head. He even covered his face with his hands. "I-I'm sorry, I.. I didn't mean to peep! I was worried about you and.. I figured you wouldn't go far so I'd make sure you were okay and.."

"Didn't I tell you before not to worry about me? You would go against my orders?" Akashi leaned in closer to Kuroko's face, "You have to make it up to me."

"I can't help it.. I care about Akashi-kun so I worry for him." Kuroko admitted. "Make it up to you? How?"

"Easy." Akashi sneaked up his hand under the blankets and under Kuroko's shirt, his cold hand touching Kuroko's naked skin. "You let me see you bare."

Kuroko gasped a little at the cold touch. He looked at Akashi with surprise, his cheeks heating up again. "B-Bare? You want me to..?" He wasn't so sure. He trusted Akashi, loved him, but the other didn't really feel the same... "I-I don't know.."

"You saw me without my clothing. Isn't it only fair that I see you as well?" His hand travelled further up from Kuroko's stomach to his chest.

"B-But I was pretty far away and I couldn't see that well.." Kuroko insisted. "It wouldn't be fair.. s-since you're close. You'll be able to see everything.."

"Think of it as punishment for leaving the house alone." Akashi pulled on the blanket, throwing it on the floor to reveal Kuroko's body under. "Now~ Will you do the honours or should I do it for you?"

"A-Akashi-kun, we.. what if someone comes in?" He said the first excuse he could think of. "Y-You never know if someone will come in.."

Akashi sighed, "I'll do it for you then." He put both of his hands on Kuroko's shirt before ripping it apart down the middle, splitting it in two. When Kuroko's chest was exposed, Akashi looked down at the other, "You're really pale."

"Akashi-kun!" Kuroko said in surprise, his arms moving to cover himself. It wasn't his fault that he was pale! He didn't tan when exposed to Sun, he just sunburned. "P-Please don't tear anymore shirts. It'll be troublesome to try and find more.."

"I just tore your shirt and you're worried how you'll get another one?" Akashi smirked in amusement, "Shouldn't you be worrying about other things?" His hand travelled down to Kuroko's trousers, "I want to see you whole and that means the bottom as well."

Kuroko reached down, holding onto his pants tightly. "I-I don't think I'm ready. P-Please.. reconsider?" He said nervously, glancing up at Akashi.

"You don't have to get ready for this. I just want to see." Akashi put his hands on Kuroko's, "I won't go far. I'll go easy on you and let you keep your underwear."

Kuroko was still hesitant but.. if it was just his pants, it should be alright. He nodded and slowly removed his hands. He did have to make it up to Akashi after all. "I-I guess.. that's fine.."

Akashi didn't hesitate to unbutton the first button on Kuroko's pants and take them down, leaving him with nothing except for his underwear. Akashi's eyes looked over Kuroko's body, not missing even a single inch, "You have no muscles. You're just bone and meat. Didn't you work out at all?"

Kuroko felt embarrassed to be stared at, but luckily his words distracted him from his embarrassment. "I-I didn't have the time. And I figured.. it wasn't that important, especially for what I wanted to be when I grew up.."

"Hooo~ And what is that?" Akashi asked, now curious.

"A.. writer or.. teacher.." Kuroko mumbled. That's why he loved reading, because he wanted to get better at writing. And if he got a chance to be a teacher, he'd want to teach little kids.

"I see." Akashi placed his hands on Kuroko's legs, teasingly tracing up from feet to the hip, "I don't think you'd make a good teacher. I would be worried for the future generations if you were to pass on your knowledge to them."

"What do you mean?" Kuroko asked, quivering a little at the soft touch. "I-I know I didn't go to college yet.. if that's what you mean." Heck, he didn't even graduate. He didn't learn everything he needed to learn to be a teacher yet.

"That's not what I meant. You would pass down all your ideals onto the children and that's a dangerous thing to do since you know nothing of the world. I can already see your younger self living a normal life with your parents, living in your bubble, ignorant of the real world." When his hands reached up to Kuroko's hips, he continued on to his chest, "I really pity you."

Kuroko stared up at Akashi before looking away. It may be true that he lived a normal life up until now but... That didn't matter any more to him. It was the past and if he had to be honest, he didn't miss it too much. Sure he missed the feeling of safety and heating and regularly taking showers (who wouldn't?). But it was boring and he never did anything with his life... He never loved. "Don't worry Akashi-kun," he suddenly said. He smiled up at the other softly. "I'll get you to love and show you that the world isn't everything you think. I know it's bad and adults are harsh and unfair, but not everything is like that. I'll teach you until you understand."

Akashi's hands reached up to Kuroko's chest, aiming for the two pink buds. "Don't get ahead of yourself. So far you did nothing to earn my love." He squeezed the two pink buds in his hands, "Continue to struggle your way into my heart even though your goal is impossible to achieve from the very beginning. Exposed and vulnerable like this... don't you think I have the upper hand here?"

"I-I trust Akashi-kun.. so I don't think he'd do a-anything.." Kuroko admitted, trying not to squirm under Akashi's touch. "And I'm still not going to give up.."

Akashi frowned, leaning closer to Kuroko's face, "Your ignorance amuses me. You would trust me that much?" Akashi sat up again, his legs placed on either side of Kuroko's stomach. Akashi didn't break eye contact with the other as he reached down to take something from his back pocket. Kuroko was startled when he saw a small pocketknife in Akashi's hand. The redhead smirked as he pointed it down to Kuroko's chest, "Would you really trust me not to pierce this through your chest and heart? Or perhaps you would rather take it from me and kill me instead? Which is it Tetsuya~?"

Of course Kuroko felt terrified when he saw the knife. He did want to at least grab Akashi's arm to prevent him from stabbing him, but he didn't. He just shifted a little, his arms staying on the bed. "Akashi-kun cares more about the group than for his own being.. He wouldn't kill or hurt me." He said, clenching at the bed with his hands. "A-And I can't.. imagine killing Akashi-kun.."

Akashi looked at the other in doubt. Were these Kuroko's real feelings or just an act? Knowing the other as well as he did, Akashi guessed it must be his true feelings which made him pity the other even more. Akashi moved the knife from Kuroko's chest, leaning it against his neck. "Did you forget the first lesson again?" He pressed the knife against the other's neck, making a small cut as the blood started dripping down his neck.

Kuroko nearly jolted from the slight pain but refrained from doing so. He didn't want to hurt himself further. "A-Akashi-kun?" He didn't expect the other to actually cut him. But he still didn't move. He felt powerless even if Akashi didn't hold him down. He didn't make another sound and closed his eyes tightly. He really couldn't imagine hurting Akashi so if the other was going to hurt him, he didn't want to watch.

Akashi moved away, sitting up and looking down at the bluenette from a better view. He noticed Kuroko's eyes shut tight and his body stiffening up from the knife. The redhead sighed before getting off the other; closing his knife and returning it back into his pocket as he stood up.

"I expected much more of you Tetsuya. I'm disappointed."

Kuroko opened his eyes, looking over at Akashi. Disappoint him? Why? "Why Akashi-kun..?" He didn't want to disappoint the other. What did he do wrong? "Please, tell me what I did to disappoint you." If he could change then he'd try. For Akashi.

There was silence for a minute before the redhead turned around to face Kuroko again, "What? What do you mean?" Now that he noticed, "Why are you in your underwear?"

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** My mood really goes down every time this thing glitches... anyway, yeah, sorry for the short updates and stuff. Yeah things have been going down but the last one was short only cause I really was in a rush at the time so I apologize. Please be aware of things you say and please don't stop reading even if subject 4 isn't Tetsuya :c we worked hard on this... and we wanted to share it, so please enjoy.

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello everyone! I promised you a long note so I'll attempt to write one now. Ok so by now it's pretty obvious who Subject 4 is and many of you stopped reading at that point (sorry :() But I hope that the rest of you are enjoying the story :) Haha I feel the same way Winry XD Somehow it feels that it takes us longer but I think it's because when we wrote Love Behind the Glasses it was winter and now it's summer, thus longer days XD and thus the illusion and distortion of time~ XD And I apologise for the cliffhangers everyone XD Actually they're my fault and I take full responsibility XD I just can't help it! I love them *evil* XD Plz don't hate me ;3;

Both Bell and I have been down lately and I just wanted to throw this out here. Please go easy on us and please please please please review :) It cheers us up and you have no idea just how much. It only takes about a minute to review and yet it brings so much happiness to the writers :) Thank you so much for the wonderful and kind souls that support us and our stories. You guys mean the world! Thank you!

See you next week :) plz review XD

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	17. File 17

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Kuroko gave the other a confused look. Was he playing with him? "I... you took off all my clothes... remember?" Akashi didn't have a golden eye through out that whole exchange so it couldn't have been the other Akashi... why didn't the other remember?

"I don't know what you're talking about. I remember going up the stairs and into my room. I..." He stopped, processing his thoughts, "don't know why I'm here…"

If Akashi couldn't remember... Kuroko quickly covered his neck. Akashi would surely be more concerned over his neck wound rather than his lack of clothes. Sure the wound already stopped bleeding since it was no bigger than a simple paper cut, but the blood was still there. "N-Nothing really happened.. you can return to your room.."

Akashi had his head lowered down; trying to put the pieces together but couldn't because he doesn't remember. He looked back up at the almost naked bluenette, "Did I do something to you?" Kuroko was naked after all. "I'm sorry."

"N-No, you didn't do anything like that!" Kuroko assured quickly. "It was... well... it's hard to explain. You didn't do anything though."

Akashi hesitated, clenching his fists, "As long as you're fine..." He turned around and went up to the door, "I'm sorry. Good night." And he left.

Kuroko watched after Akashi, letting his hand drop. He looked at his hand, seeing the blood covering it. He wanted to help Akashi. He didn't want to get pushed away anymore. But he also didn't want to annoy or lose his trust in the other... He reached for his pants and put them on. He didn't bother looking for a shirt since he had to clean the blood that dripped down from his neck. He knew it was disgusting but to save water, he used his saliva to get rid of the blood. The cut would heal and eventually disappear, but a scar would remain like any other wound.

Just as he had cleaned the wound, the door bust open again to reveal Aomine. "Party time! You ready Tetsu!?"

Kuroko jumped in surprise and immediately went to cover his chest. It was on instinct but it's not like he could help that. "H-Hey, keep your voice down. We don't want anyone finding out.."

"Oh right! Sorry." He quietly closed the doors before walking over and dumping all of the chocolate onto the ground. Aomine looked up and noticed the other was shirtless, "What are you doing? Turned on by the magazine I showed you and the prisoner earlier?"

"If I was, I'd have my pants off wouldn't I?" Kuroko sighed. "And no, I wasn't excited." He looked down at the sweets, wondering if he was even in the mood to have a "party". However he decided he needed this and didn't say anything of it. "Aomine-kun.. can we talk? Or.. can you at least just sit with me for a while?"

"Of course we can. That's why I came." Aomine sat down on the edge of the bed and unwrapped one chocolate bar to eat. "What's up?"

Kuroko hesitated, wondering what to say. He didn't want to reveal anything and he didn't want to speak behind Akashi's back like he's a monster... "I don't.. I don't know how much more I can handle, Aomine-kun.." He started softly, clenching his hands.

"You mean..." Aomine dropped the chocolate bar, "You taking your relationship with the pans to the next level?" Aomine gasped, "D-Did you... lose your virginity?"

"I'm being serious!" Kuroko suddenly said. He didn't yell since that would be dangerous. "I'm not talking about anything like that! I'm talking about.. Akashi-kun.." He slowly quieted down, feeling his eyes water. "He's suffering so much and.. I feel like I'm not doing anything to help him."

"But Tetsu... It's not your burden alone. There's nothing we can do but look for the devices. Once we find them we'll be able to heal Akashi right?" Would they? Do the devices even work? Nobody knew.

"But what if they don't work? I want to help him as soon as possible. He sounds like he's gone through so much while I've been raised in a peaceful life... It's not fair." Kuroko looked down, wiping at his eyes. "If I had been compatible, Akashi-kun wouldn't be in this much pain. In the end, it's my fault as to why he's like this. I'm the reason he's suffering."

"Are you hearing yourself right now? You're not to blame at all! Those crazy scientists did it! They're the ones to blame." Kuroko wasn't guilty at all! How could he have done anything? Aomine took one chocolate bar, opened it, before shoving it into Kuroko's mouth. "Maybe the chocolate will calm you down. Listen, you couldn't have done anything to prevent the situation we're in right now. Heck you weren't even in Kyoto, you were living all the way in Tokyo. How could you have done something? Plus, you didn't even know us before the apocalypse began."

Kuroko listened to Aomine but he still didn't feel any different. He still felt at fault. If there was anyway to go back and make himself compatible, he'd do it without question. Akashi didn't deserve this pain. But he.. He, Kuroko, deserved it. It was true that he's lived an innocent life and didn't know how the world really was. From what it sounds like, Akashi had been thrown into the real world before he could enjoy being a child. After he swallowed the chocolate, which melted, in his mouth, he let out a quiet choked sob. He reached up to wipe at his eyes again but this time, the tears wouldn't stop. "He doesn't even know love Aomine-kun.. He told me he can't feel love. He never even got a chance to love!.."

Aomine was taken aback by Kuroko's tears, moving closer to hug the other in comfort. "Don't cry Tetsu, its not your fault. Stop blaming yourself." How come everyone did? Everyone thought of exactly the same thing Kuroko does right now. Aomine felt completely useless and powerless, not being able to do anything for his friend whom he's known for years. Compared to Kuroko, Aomine had many chances to help but didn't...

"He's being loved. All of us have a strong bond uniting us."

Kuroko held onto Aomine tightly. He was glad the other decided to do this tonight. He just really needed someone and Aomine was helping like he needed. "H-He's loved.. but he isn't loving. He doesn't even think he's loved so he says that's why he can't love." He buried his head into Aomine's shoulder. "I l-love him, but I can't even help him!"

"We're all here to help. You're not alone." Aomine let Kuroko cling onto him and bury his face into his shirt. "We'll all figure something out together. That's what friends do right? I'm sure your love will reach Akashi as well."

Kuroko sniffed a little and pulled away enough to look at Aomine. "Y-You.. don't care that I like him?" It just slipped out but he was sure Aomine would've been disgusted. Aomine was a perv for women after all.

"Not really. I mean we all like him so..." Aomine noticed Kuroko's look and then it hit him, "You mean like, like? Romantic love?" Aomine was taken aback for a second, trying to understand everything. Kuroko likes Akashi but Kuroko also likes pans. Is Akashi a pan then? Nothing made sense anymore...

"I'm a bit surprised that you wouldn't go for boobs or pans... so does that mean that you're gay?"

Kuroko sighed and pulled away. Most of the time Aomine's ignorance annoyed him but for once, it cheered him up. "It seems I can't get it through to you any other way so I'm just going to say yes. I'm gay." Since Aomine couldn't understand what pansexual meant, he mind as well just agree with this to get him to stop it with the pans.

"Can pans also love the same gender?" Aomine wondered but when Kuroko deadpanned and gave him a look, Aomine stopped. "Okay! Sorry I get it, but wow! How long did you like Akashi for? And why? I mean Akashi would be the last person I would fall in love him... well if he had big boobs it would be a different story."

"It's not like you can choose who to love." Kuroko huffed. He took one of the chocolates and unwrapped it. He shouldn't pass this opportunity up. "I don't really know why.. maybe it's because of his kindness or his trust in the group. It could be his handsomeness or his unique way of thinking. It could be everything about him.."

"I see." Aomine took another bite from the chocolate in his hand. "So we're kind of in a similar situation then? Maybe just a bit different." He chewed on the food in his mouth, his thoughts all jumbled up. "Kise confessed to me but I rejected him."

Kuroko glanced at Aomine. That's right, Aomine didn't know that he overheard... "Why did you reject him anyway? You don't like him?"

"I just never thought of him that way. He's always been my best friend and we had each other's backs but... I can't see him more than that." Aomine lowered his head, "I like boobs and Kise doesn't have any... I don't know. My mind is a mess. I can't believe I'm gonna say this but I don't care about the boobs as much, its just, you know. I never saw him that way."

"He seems pretty hurt. Did you guys decide to stay friends?" Kuroko asked even if he already knew the answer. "I can't you did bad since you really can't date him if you don't like him but... He does seem upset."

"Of course we decided to stay friends! I wouldn't have it any other way!" Aomine took a bite out of his chocolate, "But even so, he's really down about it and I get that. I just want things to go back to the way they were."

"Maybe you should talk to him again, just to fix that friendship you want?" Kuroko suggested, enjoying his chocolate. He wasn't even much of a sweets person but man, he sure did miss chocolate.

The other hummed in thought, and then looked at his chocolate, "Does chocolate make you drunk? Because I'm about to go and get him. Is that okay?" He asked just in case Kuroko didn't want anyone else to join.

"That's alright. I'm sure he'd enjoy this." Kuroko smiled. He was happy that Aomine was thinking of Kise. The blonde really did need to be cheered up. "I'll be here. Make sure to tell him to keep quiet okay?"

"I will. It's Midorima's shift now so I know better than to shout." Since the greenhead hears everything... Aomine went out and sneaked up to Kise's room, opening the doors and quietly sneaking up to his bed where he was sleeping. Aomine put a hand on Kise's mouth as he suddenly opened his eyes, startled. "Pssss~ Don't shout. Wanna eat some chocolate?"

Kise gave him a confused look. Was he dreaming? Did Aomine really wake him up to ask if he wanted chocolate? He made the other remove his hand so he could speak. "Chocolate?" He whispered in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Tetsu and I are having a party so I gathered some chocolate when we were scavenging, but then I thought it would be cool if you joined too. The more the merrier right?"

The blonde just stared at him. So it wasn't a dream... Aomine was really inviting him? Kise couldn't help but smile just a tiny bit. "Okay. I'd like to join too."

"Then come with me but watch it, megane is patrolling the prisoner downstairs." Aomine took Kise's hand and sneakily got out of the room with Kise in tow.

Kise followed his orders of staying quiet. He didn't want to ruin the party after all. But the reason why he was so quiet was because he was staring at their hands with disbelief. Aomine was actually holding his hand? He knew the other didn't like him, but it still felt nice.

The two made it to Kuroko's room without getting caught. Kise had to admit, he was surprised to see the chocolate, but he was also confused as to why Kuroko was laying down on his bed shirtless while eating chocolate. He decided not to ask. "So you really have chocolate.."

"Yeah! Dig in." Aomine handed Kise one bar of chocolate before picking up his half eaten one to take another bite. "So what were we talking about again? Akashi right?"

"Yeah. But we don't have to if you don't want to.." Kuroko already made it awkward by crying earlier.

"You guys were talking about Akashicchi?" Kise asked as he opened the chocolate. He was going to savour every bite. Who knows when they'll get chocolate again.

"Yeah and I'm sure you know why as well. He's changed. Its like he's not himself anymore." Aomine didn't know how to explain it but Akashi is acting weird. It's strange.

"Well.. He does have that other Akashicchi with him..." Every one should've known this by now right? "Unless... you mean Akashicchi himself is acting weird?"

"It seems that he forgets doing things like when the other is out, but.. his eye doesn't turn." Kuroko was just as confused as everyone else. How could they help Akashi?

"It's like... the personalities are mixing together?" Aomine thought. If the golden eye doesn't show but he still appears could it be that the take over is advancing then? "Maybe the takeover has entered a new phase?"

"If that's what's happening..." They won't know when Akashi is himself or not.

"I think.. when the eye doesn't show up, it must mean that they're both in control..? And when the eye does show up, it's like the other is in complete control?" Kuroko had no idea how to explain.

"So if you're right, would that mean that Akashi would remember what he was doing? But if they're both in control then how does it work? Do both of them control the body?"

"I don't know. It's the only thing coming to mind." Kuroko sighed. "I don't understand what's going on.. I just wish it wasn't Akashi-kun being used.." If only he had been compatible from the very beginning.

"You're not the one at fault so don't blame yourself anymore. We'll figure something out, right Kise?"

"Yeah. We'll try. For Akashicchi." Kise agreed.

"I still feel like I should do something.." Kuroko mumbled.

"We all do. We'll think of something." Kise assured the other.

Aomine hummed, turning to Kise, "Hey I know its been awkward between us but I can't stand seeing you like this." He lowered his head, "What can I do to make it up to you? I'll do anything just please be yourself again."

Kise glanced at Aomine before looking away. He was burdening Aomine wasn't he? "It's okay.. Aominicchi doesn't need to do anything.. I'll get over it soon."

"Just tell me if you need anything. I'm always here for you okay?" The other assured worriedly.

"Okay.." Kise nodded. "I'm here too. If you ever need me.." He doubted Aomine will but it would be rude not to offer.

"Good to know. Thanks." Aomine smiled before taking another bite from his chocolate.

Kuroko wondered what they should talk about. Since they were talking about each other, they mind as well stay on that topic. "Do you.." He started softly, almost reluctant to reply. "Do you guys think.. Midorima-kun maybe liked Takao-kun more than he let on..?" When the raven haired male died, Midorima didn't even want to leave his side. He had been a sobbing mess then. Even before he died, Midorima was worried only for Takao when he got shot.

"I don't know... They did seem really close." Those warm memories of Takao lingered in their minds, but there is hardly a memory where he is without Midorima.

"Do you think he's okay? He's been quiet but.." Kuroko wanted to help anyone he could. Since he's always messing up, he's always trying to help others at least.

"He's not. How can he be when..." Aomine couldn't finish his sentence. That painful memory was still fresh in their minds. "But he's strong so I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been coming to terms with it till now."

"I'm just worried. No one's really asked how he's been since it happened cause we were so focused on surviving.." Kuroko said.

"Midorimicchi is strong but.. maybe I can ask him tomorrow when we search for supplies." Kise offered. Kuroko nodding, knowing that might be best.

The 'party' went on until there was no chocolate left. The three talked and talked, slowly falling asleep. When Aomine and Kise left, Kuroko was left with all the trash in his room. Well, looks like he'll have to clean it tomorrow. Feeling tired and sleep deprived, Kuroko went straight to bed and fell asleep with the same speed.

However, while everyone was asleep, a certain redhead went down the stairs to where the prisoner and Midorima were. "You can go sleep now Midorima. It's my turn." Midorima tiredly nodded, wishing Akashi a good night before going upstairs into his room. Surprisingly, Akashi didn't see Kise and Aomine in their beds, the couches, but didn't think much of it.

He kneeled down in front of the prisoner before slapping the other's cheek so hard that it left a massive red bruise, waking the other immediately. "Good morning. I apologize for disturbing your sleep but I have business with you."

Furihata didn't realize what was going on at first because all he felt was the pain in his cheek. Then he noticed Akashi (note: if it's the other one with the golden eye, you can add that he saw it. I don't know if it's the one with the gold eye or not XD). He immediately began shivering with fear once more. "W..what?"

Akashi's golden eye glowed in the darkness as his other eye showed stronger tints of gold in it. Akashi smirked as he put his hand on the cheek he had slapped, stroking it gently. "I'm here to make a deal my little hostage. You'll lead us to Mt Fuji, all the way to the top and in exchange, I'll spare your worthless life."

"L-Lead you guys?" Furihata asked nervously. He didn't want to spend anymore time with this scary redhead. "Why..?"

"If we have someone to guide us then it'll be easier to reach the top." Akashi's hand moved to move the bangs from Furiata's face, "Also, it doesn't hurt to have a hostage in case someone unexpectedly ambushes us."

"I-I don't.. know what you mean.." Furihata looked down, moving his head away from the others touch.

Akashi put his hand on the other's chin, suddenly tilting it so that Furihata faces Akashi dead on, face to face. "Let's not lie to each other. I know very well why you're here. You're here to spy on us and gather information." He smirked, "How unfortunate it is that your plan is so transparent, or should I say your group's?"

Furihata stared at the other with shock. How did he find out? Did he already tell the other's? "You.. h-how..?"

"The children told me." Akashi retreated his hand, noticing the bruise turning more and more red, "Your group is the biggest one in Shizuoka city and is very knowledgeable about the mountain and the city. Your men saw us enter the city, immediately alerting the whole group of our presence and that's why you're here. Learn about us before you come up with a plan to kill us."

"T-That's not.." Furihata knew it was pointless to try and act dumb, but he didn't know what else to do. He didn't expect to get caught that fast.

"Now." Akashi pulled on Furihata's hair, making him tilt his head up again, "You'll guide us up the mountain where we need to go without your group intervening, and you'll tell everything you know."

"I-I can't do that.. I really don't know m-much.." The brunette mumbled, wincing at the touch to his hair.

"I see. Since you refuse to cooperate I'll have to resort to other methods." Akashi's other hand reached up to his pocket, taking out his pocked knife before pointing it to Furihata's neck. "Anything coming to mind now?"

Furihata fumbled with his words, trying to move away from the knife which was useless since he was tied up. "W-We have a lot of people in our group.. We reside c-close to the city so this easier to get resources.."

Akashi pressed the knife deeper into the other's neck, drawing small drops of blood as the other flinched in slight pain. "And?"

"A-And I was sent over to see how many there were in your group so we could.." Furihata trailed off, closing his eyes tightly. "After that, w-we were going to steal your supplies.."

"So far you didn't tell me anything I didn't already know." Akashi was displeased, leaning in closer to Furihata. "Do you really not value your life?"

"I-I don't know what you want to know!" Furihata said. He did value his life. He didn't want to be killed by the terrifying redhead.

"Tell me the name of your leader, and a general profile of your group. Are there any skilled fighters amongst them?" Akashi narrowed his eyes, "How many members are there?"

"11.. There's 11.. T-They're all better fighters than me I guess and.. our leader is named Riko.." Furihata mumbled out. "T-There isn't anything more, I swear!"

"A woman huh?" Akashi moved away but still kept the knife pressed down on Furihata's neck. "I'm patrolling now so even if you told me what I wanted to know, you're stuck with me." More blood began dropping down Furihata's neck as Akashi pushed the knife further to his neck. "We'll have lots of fun~"

Furihata shivered in fear as he felt shots of pain hit him when the other cut his neck more. He felt like fainting but his fear produced adrenaline, keeping him awake. Why couldn't he have someone else patrol?

The next morning, Kuroko woke up on his own. It was strange that Akashi didn't have to wake him up... He sat up tiredly, scratching at his neck. But once he remembered his wound, he immediately stopped. He didn't want to scratch it open and have it bleed again. He distracted himself by getting up to clean the wrappers from last night. He wondered how long it would be until he had chocolate again…

Kuroko picked up the wrappers and put them in the bin. After that, he decided to go to Akashi's room to see where the redhead is. He didn't wake him up so did something happen? Its very unusual.

Kuroko went to Akashi's room, opened the doors and then approached the bed. When he got closer, he saw that Akashi was slightly shaking in his sleep, just like the time in the van. He had another nightmare!

This time Kuroko was a little hesitant to help. It seems that every time he wakes the other up from a nightmare, he almost gets attacked. But he couldn't let Akashi suffer! So he just went for it, gently shaking Akashi. "Akashi-kun, wake up.."

Akashi felt the shake, suddenly his eyes shot open as he grabbed Kuroko's hand and pulled him down on the bed, hovering above the other. Akashi panted as he realized when he had done, letting himself fall to the side next to the other. "I'm sorry."

Kuroko honestly felt déjà vu when he was thrown down again. He actually smiled a little. "It's okay. You had a nightmare." He said, sitting up and looking at the other.

When Akashi came to and looked out the window, he realized it was morning already. How could he sleep in? He quickly got up and went into the bathroom of his room. Even though there was no water, he needed to wash his face with the little water he had. "Go outside if you're ready. I'll be down soon."

Kuroko just nodded and got off the bed. He wished they could talk and maybe get rid of the nightmares somehow. He just went downstairs since he was ready, but the sight made him stop. Their prisoner, Furihata, wasn't looking too good. He had bruises all over his face and arms, along with a few cuts here and there. Who..?

Kuroko heard the sound of footsteps from the upper floor as that person went down the stairs. "Good morning Kuro-" Midorima stopped in his tracks when he noticed the prisoner. "What happened?"

"I-I don't.." Who would've done this? This definitely didn't happen during his time when he got tied up. "I found him like this and.."

Midorima wasted no time to go down the stairs and kneel down beside the prisoner to examine him. Midorima examined his head, shoulder and chest, breathing a sigh of relief. "The cuts aren't deep. He'll be fine but I'll have to disinfect the cuts just in case."

Kuroko still stared. Sure Furihata would be fine but... Who would've done this? "I have to go outside to wait for Akashi-kun.." He said that but he couldn't move. Why didn't this happen to him?

Soon enough, they heard another person slowly going down the stairs and this time it was Akashi. "Kuroko why aren't you outside?"

Kuroko looked back at Akashi and immediately hated himself for the thought that arose in his mind. For a few seconds, he actually considered Akashi being the one to do it. Not his Akashi, but the other one. "Someone's hurt the prisoner.."

The redhead went down the stairs and was shocked by the sight, "How is he?"

"Just a few wounds and bruises. They're not deep but as a doctor I can say that the one who inflicted them was playing with him rather than aiming to kill him. The attacker knew what he was doing, aiming to inflict pain but never going for the kill. Quite frightening."

"Playing with him..?" Really, who would do that? The only person coming to mind was the other Akashi... many times he had technically played with him. Choking him but never letting him suffocate to death. Pulling a knife on him and cutting him. His hand unconsciously went to the healing scar on his neck. "Will he be okay? I know it's just weird few cuts and bruises but.." The prisoner already seemed scared once they arrived, who knows how they'd react now.

"I don't know, but we'll find out when he wakes up. I can speculate that he'll be in a trauma of sorts but I can't say anything for certain." They don't know what happened so Midorima can't pinpoint anything, plus the psychological reaction varies from person to person.

Akashi had his head low, thinking about what had just happened. He had his speculations that he knew were the most likely causes. He turned to Kuroko, "Is Aomine awake?"

"Aomine-kun? I don't know. Probably not since he never wakes up this early unless you forcefully wake him up." Kuroko said. He wondered why Akashi needed Aomine... not for another fight right?

"Then wake him up. Train with him today, I'm sure you'll improve your reaction time if you spar with him more frequently." The redhead leaned on the wall behind him.

"I understand but.. what about our training?" Kuroko reluctantly asked. He liked training with Akashi even if he loathed the training itself.

"We'll continue our training but you'll gain more experience if you have new opponents from time to time. It'll only do you good, besides, I'm tired today so I would like to use the morning to rest a bit more."

Kuroko looked at him worriedly. Akashi, admitting he's tired? He knows he's human, but he never expressed exhaustion like this before. "Okay.. please be careful Akashi-kun.. I'll go get Aomine-kun."

As Kuroko went up the stairs, Akashi turned to Midorima once again, "We'll leave him to you." Midorima nodded but noticed Akashi rubbing his eyes tiredly. He couldn't say he was sure but Midorima noticed a tint of gold in Akashi's eye. However, it was gone as soon as it came, making Midorima doubt if he just imagined it or not. Akashi went upstairs and Midorima returned to his task of treating the prisoner.

Kuroko went to Aomine's room to wake the other up. He didn't bother going in quietly but it's not like he was stomping about anyway. He went to Aomine side and shook him hard, knowing he was a deep sleeper. "Aomine-kun, wake up."

"Wha-Wha! What!? Who died?" The other shot up in his sleep, sitting up, his eyes open wide.

Kuroko looked at him with surprise. Who died..? Did Aomine perhaps have a nightmare? "No one died.. why did you think that?"

"Oh Tetsu! Eh? I didn't think about it, it was just reflex." He did suddenly shot up awake. He probably didn't even think what he was saying. "Anyway, what's up? If you woke me up just for the hell of it then go away, I'm going back to sleep."

"Akashi-kun said I should start training with you more. He also went to bed so I dont have anyone to train with." Kuroko said.

"Oh. Let me get up then." Aomine stretched before standing up. "I could use some exercise for my stiff muscles. Let's go."

"Okay. And please, don't say anything bad when we go downstairs." Kuroko warned, going to the door.

"Why would I?" Aomine gave him a confused look, sighing, "I won't." They both went down the stairs and when they did, Aomine saw the prisoners, although the sight wasn't as bad since Midorima cleaned up most of the blood and bandaged the wounds. Without a word, the two went out of the house. "Who did that?"

"We don't know." But it's not like they didn't have any ideas. Kuroko just really didn't want to admit them.. He didn't want to believe it. "Let's just focus on training. Please wait while I warm up."

"Ok." Aomine watched as Kuroko left to run around the house.

Even if Akashi wasn't here, it wouldn't feel right if he didn't do his warm ups. Besides, they were important if he wanted to improve. When he finished warm ups, he noticed he wasn't as tired as say the first day they started training. He really is improving isn't he?

"Done? We're doing the usual right?" Aomine stretched a bit as well, stretching his legs and arms.

"Yeah. Just doing training. We won't stop when someone falls though." Kuroko said, stretching his arms since he already got a good stretch on his legs from running. "Want to work on defense or offense?"

"It depends on you." Aomine straightened himself, "What do you need to improve on?"

"Defense." Kuroko said immediately. He wasn't very good at defense and he wanted to be able to protect himself.

"Defense it is then. Ready?" Aomine took his position, ready to begin.

"Yes." Kuroko said, getting into his defense position. He hoped he really did improve with Aomine to impress Akashi, and also for his own survival.

The two began the training with Aomine aiming his first at the other, however, surprisingly Kuroko dodged and disappeared again! Just as he did, he reappeared, making Aomine trip and fall onto the ground. They went with it for hours until it was finally time to finish. Kuroko managed to evade and land hits on Aomine but the other did as well. Overall, Kuroko evaded about 4 hits out of 10 and that is a big improvement! He couldn't even touch the other before!

Kuroko panted at they finally finished up with training. He felt better about himself now that he could actually defend and attack. Maybe Akashi really was just a harder opponent. "Thanks Aomine-kun."

"Don't sweat it Tetsu." But unlike Kuroko, Aomine didn't seem tired at all. He could do everything all over again. "Let's go in and see what the others are doing. We're leaving for the mountain tomorrow after all."

"Oh yeah.. right.." Kuroko forgot about the mountain. How were they going to climb a mountain? "Okay." He agreed with Aomine as the two headed to the house.

Once they went in, they noticed Midorima and the prisoner who was awake. "Done?" Midorima asked as he put a band aid on the prisoner's cheek.

"Yes.." Kuroko responded, looking at Furihata. The other seemed distant.. more enclosed... at least he wasn't freaking out, but maybe that would've been better because that way, they could've figured out who did it.

"Feeling better?" Aomine approached the prisoner, kneeling beside him. "Who did this to you?"

Furihata just began shaking, not even looking at Aomine. He just shook his head quickly as if he didn't want to say.

"We want to know so we can protect you." Even if he is leaving that morning. But then Kuroko thought, what if he stays? It won't hinder them too much when it comes to group capacity. If he joined, they'll be back to their original number...

When Furihata shook his head again, Kuroko sighed. Maybe.. no, probably most definitely, whoever did this had told him some kind of threat or something to keep him quiet.

Aomine and Midorima exchanged looks, confused as to why the prisoner is being quiet as well. "Done with the training?" A new voice suddenly asked, making them all look up the stairs to see Akashi.

"Ah, yes." Kuroko said, stepping back from Furihata. He looked up at Akashi. "Are you feeling okay now?"

"Never felt better." Akashi walked down the stairs to join the others. He looked down on Furihata whose eyes widened in fear, "How is the prisoner?"

"When we woke up we found him wounded. Somebody must have attacked him while the rest of us were asleep." Midorima pushed up his glasses, "Most probably the person who patrolled at the time."

Aomine perked up, "So you're saying someone from the group did it?"

"Most likely."

There was silence, until Akashi spoke up, "As long as the prisoner is alive it doesn't matter." Akashi kneeled down, "We're taking him to the mountain with us. He'll be our guide."

"Guide?" Well, Furihata did say he knew the mountain since he camped close by... But kuroko was right after all. He was going to come with them.

"Yes. He'll lead us to the top and show us the easiest way to get up." Akashi's eyes narrowed at the prisoner, "Won't you?"

Furihata nodded quickly, not wanting to get hurt again. Kuroko noticed but didn't say anything. He didn't want to blame Akashi. "Will he help search for supplies or stay here?" He asked.

"He'll stay here with me while the rest go out to scavenge. We'll combine the two groups for safety reasons and gather anything we can. Tomorrow is the day so you'll have to come back earlier for us to prepare for the journey." They'll need to be prepared for the cold and the strong winds.

Everyone downstairs nodded and as Kuroko looked around, he realized Kise wasn't downstairs yet… "We'll have to see if everyone has enough clothes right?"

"Clothes, food, water, tents, jackets and so on. I'm sure you're capable enough to understand what supplies you need when venturing out onto a mountain." Akashi coldly said as he stood up. "Wake Kise up. We'll have breakfast before you leave."

Kuroko didn't expect Akashi to be so cold. It really wasn't a good thing since it made Kuroko more suspicious without his consent. He just went upstairs, returning a few minutes later with Kise.

The group went into the kitchen and ate, all the while Furihata was out in the living room, still tied up. But that didn't mean he was out of their sights, luckily you could see the living room from the kitchen so they could see him, and he could see them, eating as his stomach grumbled in hunger.

"... Should someone feed him?" Kuroko asked. "He needs strength to climb a mountain Right?"

"Feed him and you won't eat yourself." Akashi raised a spoonful of tuna to his mouth, looking at Kuroko before his eyes gazed over to Furihata.

Kuroko looked at Akashi with a little surprise. Why was he... "Fine then." Kuroko said, getting up with his food. He went into the living room without another word. He was sure Furihata must be starving. He didn't eat last night and just watching others eat breakfast was torture.

"Y-You didn't have to.." Furihata murmured but was still staring into the kitchen.

"It's fine." Kuroko said, sitting down in front of him. "I ate last night, you didn't. It would be cruel to make you climb a mountain tomorrow on an empty stomach." He said and before Furihata could complain or decline, Kuroko forced Furihata to eat. It reminded him of his own first night, with Akashi forcing him to eat while he was tied up.

And as promised, Kuroko didn't have anything more to eat. When the group was done, they gathered to go over the list of things they would need. They already have warm jackets and a tent but they lack items like thermostat for water and shoes for climbing. These items are hard to come by so if they don't find them, they all agreed to go without them since they already have the essentials.

The two groups joined together and went to explore while Akashi stayed home with the prisoner. They did lack skills to start up a car but they could manage just fine without him.

Finally after a long day of scavenging, the group returned home with a big catch. They found the remaining items they need, that is all without warm socks and small items like that. However, since they have the essentials, they are more than ready. You can't expect to find everything on the list when other people could have taken it to help them survive.

The group tiredly sat on the couches while some went to their rooms to rest. The day was long, maybe because they had to hurry to come back earlier to get ready for tomorrow but nothing they couldn't handle. As the group rested, Akashi took it upon himself to sort out the equipment.

Kuroko was one of the few who decided to rest in his room. After spending a tiring day with everyone, he decided to spend the rest of it alone. They'd all be sleeping in either one or two tents anyway, so this is like his last night to be alone until they take shelter in one of the ski resorts in the mountain.

As he laid on his bed, wondering what to do, his eyes landed on his bag. He hadn't tried opening the file on his tablet since the first time. Maybe now he'd have some luck? He got up and retrieved the tablet, laying back down as soon as he got it. He turned it on and tried to open the file again. He tried some random facts that he knew about his dad; Favorite foods, favorite color, his "companies" name for his "job". He still couldn't believe his parents were... He tried not to think about it.

He tried passwords like "subject four" and "secret labs", but none worked. It seemed useless but he had to keep trying.

After an endless night of trying, Kuroko decided to close the tablet when nothing else came to mind. He didn't want to waste the battery. If that is gone then everything his father had in the tablet would be lost. All of his answers would be lost...

Kuroko fell back on the bed, thinking about everything that had happened. He did find it strange that the tablet didn't show the battery life... Maybe he just can't see it because it's locked? Kuroko sighed and thought about the prisoner next. Hopefully he's not hungry at least now that Kuroko fed him, although he did get punished by not getting anymore breakfast and dinner for the day.

Tomorrow is a big day so sleep would be much appreciated. Kuroko slowly closed his eyes as he slowly tried to fall asleep. Who knows what awaits them tomorrow.

Because today was the trip up the mountain, for once Akashi didn't wake him up for training. But he did still wake him and everyone else up. Kuroko looked at Akashi as he told him to get ready for the expedition. He rubbed his eyes tiredly before heading downstairs like the rest of the group. Today was the day... today they were finally going to climb a mountain.

"We have all of the items we need. Gear up before we begin our journey." Akashi said as the rest began doing precisely up. They all put on warm clothing they found from their hunts and then finally finished off with the warm jackets. They even found some warm hats as well which was a blessing because now, especially in December, you'll need them.

While the group was gearing up, Furihata was still tied to the pole, watching the others. However, when Akashi approached him, he perked up, "I'll untie your ropes now but remember, I'm watching you."

"Y-yes.." Furihata said, nodding. As Akashi freed Furihata, Kuroko tilted his head. Did they have enough extra clothes for Furihata? It wouldn't do any good if their guide froze to death. "Is there clothes for him?" Kuroko asked.

"No." Furihata came to them unexpectedly so they didn't count in a seventh person. "Take this. It's my old jacket. It'll have to do." The jacket isn't suited for cold weather but its better than nothing.

Kuroko hesitated but if they didn't have enough clothes, they couldn't do anything about it. Maybe they could take turns with the gloves and hat or something. Anything to help.

"Will we be able to make it to any of the resorts on the first night?" Kise asked. Everyone didn't want to spend their first night in tents.

"Then maybe you should hurry up and get ready instead of asking. The sooner we leave, the higher the chance of us reaching a resort is." Akashi threw his backpack on his shoulder, while everyone else was putting on their coats.

Kuroko grabbed his backpack and watched Akashi. Akashi changed... Just over night too. It worried Kuroko greatly. Was Akashi hiding something? Was he hurting and keeping it to himself? What about the other Akashi, is he coming out more and more? "Akashi-kun.." He mumbled as he walked closer. "Is everything.. Okay?"

"I'm fine. Why are you asking?" Akashi zipped up his jacket before his eyes moved onto the bluenette.

"I'm just worried.. You didn't feel well this morning and.." Kuroko sighed, not sure what else to say. What could he say? Akashi would get mad just for worrying for him.

"Drop that attitude. I told you that before, didn't I?" He approached Kuroko, "If you're not capable of taking care of yourself then you have no right to worry about others. It's unsightly."

"I'm perfectly fine though. And you can't stop me from worrying, its just a feeling I can't stop." Kuroko insisted. "I'm just worried for you, I can't help it."

"Is it because of love?" The redhead curiously asked, "Worry about the others. You're wasting my time."

Kuroko felt hurt that Akashi said it like that. "I'm sorry... But I really can't help it. I'm sorry." He said before moving away so Akashi couldn't keep getting mad.

Akashi's eyes trailed along after Kuroko as he went to join the others. He watched him and the others, noticing that they're ready to go. "It seems everyone is ready. Let's go, the sooner we leave the better." Akashi pushed Furihata and went to the doors, everyone else following.

Furihata looked like he wanted to do nothing more than to at least get away from Akashi, but the redhead was watching him so intensely, he felt like he could barely move. This was going to be a long trip.

And so the group began their journey to Mt. Fuji, not knowing what they'll find or what to expect. Although there is one thing they knew for sure and that is that nothing will be easy. Hopefully the monsters wouldn't venture out onto the mountain due to the cold temperatures; at least they hoped that would be the case.

Akashi led them, walking around the neighborhood but not in the direction they were suppose to go to. It confused them, but then when Akashi spotted a jeep and walked up to it, they knew right away what he had in mind. The car smoothly started up and with enough fuel to take them to the mountain to boot! They all got into the vehicle and drove as far as the car could take them.

Once they arrived to Mt. Fuji, they couldn't help but admire the beauty of the mountain. It was beautiful and huge with white snow at the top of the mountain, or better say volcano. From here on out, their journey begins. They'll be tested by the mountain in terms of stamina, endurance and determination. Nature takes no prisoners so they'll have to be extra careful when climbing up.

It'll be a shame when they can't use the car anymore. It was easy since they all could rest and wouldn't have to carry the supplies themselves. But they all knew that once the car goes as far as its allowed, they'd have to continue by foot, carrying everything themselves.

"Maybe we will make it to a resort before dark." Kise suggested. They all wondered what dark time would be like on a mountain. Would the monsters be out? Would they even be up this high on a mountain?

"Would the monsters even be able to live out here?" Kuroko asked, wanting to have the group talk. It's been quiet for so long, so its been boring.

"I hope not." Aomine added, looking up at the road ahead. It'll be a long journey.

"We've never been to a mountain before so the only thing left for us to do is wait and see."

Kuroko wanted to continue the conversation but it seems like no ones interested. He pouted and just watched the outside. Hopefully they wouldn't have to spend their first nights in a tent, but the resort was a long ways up... Even by car, he didn't think they'd make it.

And Kuroko was right, they didn't make it up to the resort as night was quickly coming. The group decided to call it a day as everyone began settling down and started putting up the tents. As the sky became darker and darker, many stars started showing up in the sky, shining brightly.

"If it wasn't so cold, it would be a perfect night." Kuroko commented as he helped Aomine and Midorima with setting up one of the tents.

"I've never seen so many stars." Aomine looked up, dropping his part of the tent.

"Concentrate!" Midorima scolded while the other picked it up. "Yeah, yeah."

Kuroko smiled a little and they finally finished the tent. "Admit it Midorima-kun, you like the stars too." He said, trying to cheer up the other.

"Hmph." Midorima pushed up his glasses, "Of course I like the stars. We are all connected to them from birth and each and every one of us is assigned into one of the 12 signs. That's why we have to depend on Oha Asa to tell us every day's fortune, and it all depends on the stars."

"..Yeah.. Right.." Kuroko smiled a little. He didn't want to bring Midorima down. It was his thing after all. "Well, the stars are beautiful too. It's nice looking up at them."

"If you look close enough then maybe you could see the Aquarius constellation. Of course I already found mine, Cancer is right over there." Midorima pointed to the left.

"Ehh~ Then where is Virgo?" Aomine curiously asked.

"There." Midorima pointed to the right.

"Where's Aquarius? I don't remember what it looks like." Kuroko asked as he stared up at the stars. He like constellations but he could never remember them all.

"It's just above us." Kuroko looked up and noticed the patters he saw in books before, but in real life it was much more beautiful. They all looked up at the stars, drawn in by the beauty. You would never see stars this close and clearly anywhere else than on a mountain.

"Instead of gazing up at the stars, why don't you help? We're drawing from the hats to see who shares a tent with who. We have 3 tents so three people will have to fit into one while the other two will have two people in it."

The others looked over at Akashi and sighed. The hat again. At least this time he can't cheat his way into getting a master bedroom or something.

"I'll go first." Kise offered and walked over. "So how does this work?" The tents were different colors so maybe the papers had the colors on them?

"The color of the tents is written on the paper. Three people will sleep in the green tent, while two will sleep in the blue and red tents." Akashi informed, but Aomine gulped.

"So in other words the green tent is like the couches?"

"If you see it that way then yes."

Kise was determined not to get a "couch" again. He reached into the hat and grabbed a paper before pulling it out. "Blue!" He said with relief.

"No way! Let me see that!" Aomine grabbed the small paper, which said 'blue'. He stared at the paper with wide eyes, would he have the same luck? With newfound courage, Aomine went to the hat to pick his paper. He put his hand in, took a deep breath before taking it out. He didn't look at the paper right away but opened one of his eyes to look, "Blue!" The same as Kise's! "Looks like we're together again partner!" He put his arm over the other.

Kise slowly nodded and smiled. He was happy to share a tent with Aomine, even if he had been rejected. They were still partners after all.

Kuroko decided to go up next and sighed in relief when he got the red tent. He didn't like sharing really when it comes to rooms. Or tents in this case. "Does Furihata get to choose one?"

"Of course not, what kind of a question is that?" Akashi gave Kuroko a look while Midorima and Murasakibara drew from the hat. They both got the green tent, meaning the couches level. The last one to draw was Akashi and as expected, he picked the red tent, meaning he'll be sharing a tent with Kuroko.

"The prisoner will sleep in the green tent, so Midorima and Murasakibara you'll have to watch over him." Akashi commanded. Even the red and blue tents were positioned around the green tent so should something happen, they'll all hear it.

Kuroko glanced at Furihata who seemed hurt, probably from distrust, but it was expected. He was just a prisoner after all. Kuroko tried not to think about how he was going to share a tent with Akashi as he went inside it. Just sleep and get the night over with. That's it.

Akashi was next to enter the tent when everyone else, including the prisoner went into his. Akashi noticed Kuroko laying down, his back facing him, but he didn't mind. He did the same, laying down with his back facing the other. He slowly closed his eyes as they both drifted off to sleep, with the cold winds of the mountain that could be heard from inside the tent.

As the night went by, Kuroko was in an unexpectedly comfortable sleep. However, that sleep was interrupted when suddenly a hand found its way onto his shoulder, grabbing it tightly and waking Kuroko up in the process.

He turned to look behind him, expecting some attacker, but it was just Akashi. He looked exhausted but scared. He was sweating, ant his grip on Kuroko's shoulder was right, as if his life depended on it. "A-Akashi-kun?" He whispered in confusion and worry. "What's wrong? What happened?"

The redhead panted as he come to. His scared eyes looked at Kuroko's as he slowly began to calm down, "Kuroko, is it alright if I ask you something?"

"It's okay, you can ask me anything. You can tell me anything too." Kuroko said, turning completely to face Akashi. Did the other have a nightmare? It would be the first time that Akashi wakes him up instead.

"I..." He weakened his grip on Kuroko's shoulder, letting it go. "I have no memories of today's events. I remember being woken up by you but everything else is a blur. I don't know how we ended up in a tent and how we climbed the mountain." He looked up at Kuroko, "Could you please tell me everything that had happened today?"

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 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Alright uh... I don't know what to say :'D Okay, this is my note: Sorry if anyone had noticed that I didn't have a note before. My tablet kept glitching out and I couldn't even write :c but KT is helping me! :3 Uh, there is no Akafuri or any other pairing! Just Akakuro, we swear :D Uh, it may be confusing and most of it will be explained if not all of it! I mean, there may be a part in the future we can't explain... but hey, there are things people know and things they don't know :'3 enjoy the chapter and story :D

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Omg... Thank you everyone for the love and support! I honestly didn't expect you guys to kick in and begin reviewing! I mean I did, but not so many of you! I enjoyed reading both the long and short reviews and just see how much you guys support us! Even though some of you may be ghost readers, you took your time to review in our time of need! Even though you didn't know what to say, you still did! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You guys are seriously GOLDEN and I really think we don't deserve you guys! You're really awesome and soooo supporting! Sorry for getting emotional but it means a lot. Reading that some of you guys reload the page the entire day on Sunday (when a new chapter is about to come out), and knowing that (for some of you for who the chapters come out on Mondays), that we make your days brighter. It makes me really really happy knowing that, somewhere out there in this world there is someone whom we can put a smile on their face :)

I wanted to address each of you individually but if I did then the note would be HUGE :( but to address the main question everyone is asking... NO AKAFURI! I absolutely HATE that pairing too so there will be none of that XD this is as close as AkaFuri as it gets XD

Thank you so much! Thank you for your kind words :) You motivated us to keep going on and let us know that what we do makes a difference and makes someone happy (you) XD Plz don't forget to review if u want and we'll see you next week again :) Bye~ *hugs everyone* :D

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	18. File 18

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Akashi didn't remember...? What could that mean? He didn't have the golden eye all day! "Well... we all got ready and you hot wired a car... and we drove up for most of the day. Then we set up tents and went to sleep... that's it really." Kuroko said. "It's okay. Nothing happened If you're worried about the group. Everyone's fine."

Akashi let a sigh of relief, "That's good to hear." But that's not the end of his worries, it can't continue like this. "The truth is that I'm losing myself more and more. I don't know how to explain it but it feels as if my personality changes from time to time. You see, sometimes I remember certain events and I'm conscious of them but this urge inside me forces me to do something I otherwise wouldn't have done. As if I'm changing somehow beyond my control."

He lowered his head, "But that's not all. In cases like today, I lose myself completely and don't remember what happened at all. The best way to describe it is as if I've fallen unconscious."

Kuroko listened closely, frowning with worry. Akashi was losing himself? To the other Akashi? If that's so, then they needed to find the last two devices fast. "Well.. I'll make sure you and the group stay safe." He promised.

Akashi smiled warmly, "Thank you." Although the usual him would decline, he is in a dire situation. "However, I'm still an element of danger to the group and as the leader I can't allow that. I don't want to harm anyone without even knowing about it."

"Don't worry, no one will let that happen." Kuroko said. Then he reluctantly moved closer to offer both warmth and comfort. "U-Um.. I know you don't like me and I'm not doing this to make a move.. I just.." He didn't know how to explain it.

Akashi wasn't startled by the action, on the contrary, he welcomed it. He wrapped his arms around Kuroko, pushing him closer to his chest, "It's much warmer like this."

Kuroko blushed a little but just nodded. It really was warmed this way. It was really cold, even with the extra clothes. "Th-Thanks.." He actually snuggled into Akashi. "You can.. you can tell me anything, you know.. Whenever you have nightmares, when you're insecure.."

Akashi thought, not saying anything for a while. "I'm sorry for imposing on you but could you do me a favor? You're the only one who can do it." There was silence again, "I know it's too much to ask for but if you sense or have the slightest feeling that I'm not myself then please kiss me."

Kuroko looked up the Akashi before nodding. It wasn't that easy since Kuroko was so unsure about Akashi all day. "S-So.. I can only kiss you when.. you aren't yourself?"

Akashi's brow rose. Silence. "I don't see why we should kiss when I'm myself, although perhaps it could help me maintain control. Is that what you had in mind?"

Not wanting to embarrass himself further or get Akashi mad, Kuroko nodded. "Yes.. Maybe it'll keep him at bay longer.."

"I see." Akashi closed his eyes as the two shared their body heat, "I wonder why your kisses work."

"I wonder too.." Kuroko agreed. "Maybe its because I'm not compatible with him so.. Any kind of psychological and physical touch keeps him at bay?"

"If your theory is true then would the same apply to other incompatible subjects? or is it just you?" Akashi thought out loud as the loud winds of the cold night passed through the tent.

"I'm not sure.. And I really don't want to test it." Kuroko didn't want to imagine anyone else kissing Akashi. "We know I can so.. Is that enough?"

"It may be enough but it puts you in much greater danger. It would be safer if we test it out, besides, it doesn't cost us anything to know."

"Then.. Who?" Kuroko asked. "Who would you want to.." He grimaced a little at the thought. "...kiss you?"

"I don't have anyone specific in mind and its not like we'll see if it works when I'm myself. I doubt my other self would let himself be kissed that easily." In the end, Kuroko really may be the only one capable of doing it, even if Akashi doesn't want to put him in danger.

"Then.. I'll just kiss you a few times a day or whenever you seem suspicious to keep him from completely coming out." Kuroko claimed. "L-Like.. um.. now could be an example.."

Akashi was surprised, "Do I not seem myself? or is my eye turning gold?"

"I-I'm not saying that! I'm just saying that kissing you now might keep you from acting like you aren't yourself." Kuroko said quickly.

Akashi smiled, moving away so that he could see Kuroko's face, "Is that really the case? Perhaps you have ulterior motives~"

Kuroko wanted to deny it but then he remembered what Akashi said. 'I can't return those feelings to you.' Were those Akashi's words or the other Akashi's words? He frowned and just slowly shook his head. "No.. just forget about it, please.."

Akashi watched Kuroko quietly, placing his hand on the other's cheek, "If you won't then may I?"

Kuroko looked surprised but didn't pull away. "...You can do anything you want."

A cold wave of wind hit the tent, sharking it slightly. Kuroko's and Akashi's eyes met as the redhead moved closer to the other, placing a kiss on the other's lips. Unlike the previous kiss, this one was gentle, caring and careful. If you would compare it to Akashi's previous kiss, you wouldn't believe it was the same person.

Why Akashi wanted to kiss him, Kuroko didn't understand. If Akashi didn't like him, why would he want to kiss him..? But for now he didn't worry about it and just focused on the kiss at hand. It felt a lot more loving than the other one which made him grip onto Akashi tightly.

The kiss was deep but yet it didn't cross the borderline of discomfort. Akashi didn't push himself onto the other but was in line, letting Kuroko breathe when he needed to, not doing anything forceful. Gentle is the perfect word to describe it. When they slowly broke apart, it was just as gentle as they slowly moved apart.

Now Kuroko was really confused. The kiss felt like something that should be shared between lovers... but they're not lovers. "A-Akashi-kun.." He started nervously after catching his breath. "I don't.. um.. d-didn't you say you don't like me? Like that?"

"I don't share those feelings but in order to keep everyone safe and sound, we'll have to kiss often. If that's the case then I don't want to discomfort you when you're forced to kiss me. Perhaps its cruel of me to do so and I'm sorry for that. It's just that I have no other option."

"No.. it's fine. If it's to save you, I really don't mind. I guess I should be glad I can at least kiss you.." But it didn't feel right. It was for the greater good for Akashi and the group, but Kuroko was still upset by it. It was true that he wanted to love, which did happen, but he didn't expect the want to be loved as well.

"I'm sorry." Akashi moved closer again, pushing Kuroko to his chest into the position they were in before. He didn't know what to say but no words were needed. Kuroko knew Akashi felt guilty and at the same time Akashi knew that Kuroko wanted to be loved back. Is Kuroko's love unrequited or did fate place them in these roles to bring them together? Only time will tell.

"Don't worry about it." Kuroko sighed and buried his face into Akashi's chest. "There's nothing you can do about it. It's just a feeling.. you can't force yourself even if you wanted to."

Akashi didn't say anything in return as they both listened to the wind which eventually led them to sleep.

The next morning wasn't easy. Even if the sun was up, the group didn't feel it's warmth at all. It was just so cold that it was almost like heat didn't exist anymore. No one felt like getting up to face the cold, but it had to be done. They had to at least make it to the resort by either today or tomorrow. If only they still had the car, they would have been happy to use it to rest and make the travelling faster.

Soon enough everyone got up to get started on packing up. The same people who put the tents up took them down tiredly. The atmosphere was tense since everyone was bitter from the cold. It wasn't nice to wake up to harsh winds and freezing temperatures. It was as if the tents didn't do anything to help. Well, they did, but they just wanted to complain.

Those from the green tent didn't seem too happy. Except for Murasakibara who just looked tired like always. Midorima looked exhausted and Furihata seemed scared. Perhaps something happened in the tent that scared the other? But since he wasn't harmed and no one was in the mood to talk, no one asked what was wrong.

After packing up the tents and gathering the supplies, the group slowly made their way up. The higher they went, the colder it got. Everyone was certain it was below freezing, the many layers of snow around them proving that. Walking wasn't a problem for the tall members of the group, but the short ones, especially Kuroko and Furihata, used a lot of energy just taking a few steps.

As the day went on, the group took few breaks. Not because Akashi was insistent on moving, but because no one wanted to stop for too long. They were afraid that if they stopped to take a break, they'd never move again. So with little breaks and a lot of walking and energy, they arrived to the resort. It was just up ahead, making everyone mentally cry with relief. Finally they'd have a real place to sleep in that would protect them from the cold.

Once they all made it inside the building, the first thing they did was to see if anyone was inside. Luckily the coast was clear and so they took off their bags and heavy equipment, resting before moving on. Not only were they shielded from the cold but there were also couches they could sit on!

As everyone made themselves comfortable, Akashi kept an eye on the prisoner. He did well on getting them up to this point but how long would it be until his friends come to pick him up? Despite the snow and heavy winds, Akashi knew that it would be very soon. He looked out the window but couldn't see the sun due to heavy fog that was on the mountain. It was hard to tell the time of the day but he guessed they had about four hours before the sun sets down. Now there was a question of whether they should continue on from here, or continue up the mountain.

Akashi made the choice, "We'll stay here for the night. We'll need to search the resort to make sure the device isn't hidden somewhere here. If is not then we'll continue our search tomorrow."

"Do you think there's food here?" Since it was on a mountain, a cold one at that, it was unlikely that it was raided. But that didn't mean someone didn't take everything before he fled when this all started.

"Let's check." Aomine suggested as he took his torch and went to the restaurant area. He jumped over the counter and went straight into the kitchen, Murasakibara joining him in the search.

"How is everyone feeling? Any frostbites or pain?" Midorima wanted to make sure the group was in a good condition before they travel any further.

"I'm sure everyone is just sore..." Besides if anyone had the worst of it, it would be Furihata since he had the least amount of clothes. Kuroko actually looked at Furihata who noticed his stare.

"I-I'm fine, really." Furihata said which made Kuroko a little suspicious.

"I didn't say anything though.." He said which made the other flinch. Was the other perhaps in pain? Or maybe he had frostbite? He didn't seem blue or anything but you can't really see pain.

"If you're in pain then tell us." Akashi spoke up as he ruffled through his bag for the thermostat, but even though Akashi didn't say it in a threatening tone, the other was still scared.

"It's fine.." Furihata tried to insist but his voice was quiet. Akashi was terrifying, even if he wasn't even angry.

"I'll be the judge of that." The doctor of the group approached the prisoner, "Be honest with me, are you feeling any pain? I'm here to help you, not hurt you."

Furihata still seemed reluctant. "It's just.. my feet is all.. I don't really feel them sometimes.." Maybe they got numb with cold since snow would fall into his shoes with almost every step.

Midorima sighed, "That's because of the cold. We need to warm you up, and everyone else for that matter." Everybody was freezing cold, despite the warm clothing.

"Let's start a campfire." Akashi suggested after spotting a chimney. He walked over to it and noticed a pile of wood beside it.

"Do we have anything to light it with?" Kise asked, looking around the fireplace for some kind of lighter.

"Yeah, just rub two sticks together." Kuroko said, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Keep your hormones in check Tetsu." Aomine joked, placing his hand on Kuroko's shoulder while Akashi worked on placing the wood inside the chimney, starting the fire in his own way.

"I did not mean it like that!" Kuroko said after guessing what Aomine meant. "You know I didn't."

"I'm pretty sure you did~" Aomine teased.

"Kuro-chin is a pervert~" Murasakibara said as he emerged from the kitchen, holding a pile of food.

"I'm not! Aomine-kun is the pervert!" Kuroko insisted with a frown, covering his red cheeks.

"I don't know~ The way you said it kind of sounded like a perv~" Kise teased as well.

"Hmph. Well, Kuroko is at that age so it would only be natural that he would think about those things." Midorima added, pushing up his glasses while Furihata stared. Aomine noticed this and turned around with Kuroko, "By the way if you didn't know yet, this guy is a real pervert. He may act innocent but the truth is that he's hiding his true self. I would stay clear of him if I were you."

"O-Oh.. um.." Furihata didn't know how to respond. What was he even supposed to say?

"Don't listen to them." Kuroko pleaded, making the other even more clueless on what to say. "You know Aomine-kun is the pervert here."

"I uh.. I guess..?" Furihata finally said.

"See! Don't be tricked! Look at those pleading eyes! They're deceiving you! Don't trust him! If you listen to me, you'll get far kid." Aomine moved over to Furihata, placing his arm around him.

"What? I'm not deceiving anyone. I'm also not the one who reads dirty magazines and fantasize about large boobs." Kuroko insisted. It was really a good thing that no girls were in their group. If there was, who knows if they'd be the type Aomine would hit on.

"Lame." Aomine pat Furihata on the shoulder, "Don't listen to him kid. Follow me and I'll teach you a lot of things. Maybe we should work on your confidence first." Aomine suggested as Akashi lit up the fire in the background.

"Everyone gather around to warm up."

At the sight of the fire, every one walked over immediately. They all wanted the same thing; Warmth. It was refreshing to be beside an actual fire after a cold, exhausting hike up a mountain.

"Thank you Akashi-kun." Kuroko smiled at the other.

"You welcome." He looked over at Furihata, "You should warm up your feet."

"Y-Yes.." Furihata said, moving closer but still left room for the others to get warm too.

As everyone was getting comfortable, Aomine and Murasakibara brought over the food they found in the kitchen. They grabbed everything they could so some of the items may be rotten or have expired dates so they'll have to check them first and sort out which foods are edible.

"Hmmm~ Candy~" Murasakibara took out the said item from the pile of food.

"Check it first. It may be expired." Akashi warned and the other nodded, "Hai~ Hai~"

"You know.. we are pretty lucky." Kuroko said. "And yeah I know this life sucks with the apocalypse but... if we had to see it a different way... we are pretty lucky. We have food and water and we always manage to find some. We don't have too many casualties and.. well, we are lucky enough to make it to a resort with fire in a cold mountain. If I had to look at this apocalypse in an optimistic way.. I guess that's how I'd do it."

Even though Kuroko tried to be cheerful and optimistic, the others had their own different views. "It's good to think positively but don't test your luck Kuroko. You might regret it." Akashi glanced at Kuroko before turning back to look at the fire.

"If you were to ask me, I would say that lady misfortune has her eyes on us." He narrowed his eyes in thought.

Midorima lowered his head, memories of Takao lingering around. He was sure that if Takao was here then it would make that much of a difference. He would liven up the group with his jokes and make fun of Midorima to no end. Midorima smiled softly at those thoughts and memories.

Aomine and Kise looked at each other with concern before looking over at Akashi. A lot has changed…

"I.." Kuroko closed his mouth again and just looked down. "Sorry... I'm not good at cheering people up... it's best if I just shut up." He mumbled, looking at the can in his hands to see if it expired or not. He didn't really have an appetite but he knew he had to eat to keep his strengths.

There was silence as everyone began eating, thinking about everything that had happened and about the future. If they find the devices and activate them then what? Will everything turn back to the way it was? Nobody was naive like that. Everyone knew that the thing might not even work and if that's the case then their struggles would all be for nothing.

The rest of the time until they went to bed was quiet. They just ate and stayed close to the fire. For once in a long time, they all slept in the same room. They were close to the fire since the rooms in the resort were upstairs, and no one felt like being alone in a cold room. Even if that room did have a bed.

Everyone went to sleep except of course Kuroko. Sure he was on watch, but that wasn't the only reason he was awake. He was really thinking about everything that has happened since the apocalypse started. Was it really insane to try and look at things positively? They were alive right? So shouldn't they be grateful? But then again, who'd want to be alive in a world like this?

A sudden breeze came by and he shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself. Wait, breeze? All the doors and windows were closed... Kuroko looked around and slowly stood up. Maybe the winds outside were so strong they broke a window or something? He started walking around, shivering as he left the warmth of the fire. He couldn't stay away for too long since he had to watch the fire and make sure it didn't get out of hand.

He felt a bit scared. Was it a monster? But he didn't hear any whispers... He hoped it wasn't a monster. He didn't want to face them again. Then he heard clicking behind him and he jumped in surprise, looking behind him. "Nigou?" He looked down at the pup who nearly gave him a heart attack. He sighed and reached down to pet him. "Go back to bed." He ordered but the pup just panted and followed him when he began moving again.

Kuroko walked towards the source of the cold, which was near the back of the resort. It was a window but... it wasn't broken. It had been opened. Then Kuroko heard a creak which was definitely not Nigou this time. Knowing there's a chance someone or something may be inside (and with the fear growing inside him), he quickly went back to where the others were sleeping. He went to Akashi immediately, shaking him awake. "Akashi-kun, please wake up." He whispered worriedly.

As Kuroko shook the other awake, Akashi's eyes slowly began to open, however, it was too late as two hands found their way around Kuroko, restraining him and disabling him from talking. Kuroko felt the two strong hands around his body as the person pushed him towards himself, "Don't resist." The person looked over at Akashi, "Wake up your friends."

Like hell Kuroko wasn't going to resist. He still struggled even if the hands held him tightly. He couldn't just sit in someone's arms and not help his group.

Someone did wake up to the sounds of struggling before Akashi could wake them, and it was Furihata. At first he didn't seem to realize what was happening but once he did, he could only stare. So they've finally come.

"Furi! You made it!" Two members of the group called out, one of them was bald and the other had dark hair. "Of course he made it idiots!" Soon enough the two were hit on he head by another person who was wearing glasses. "Good job Furihata."

"O-Oh, yeah.." Furihata responded after a few seconds. "I didn't do much though.." He mumbled. However one of the two members just shook their heads and told them he did fine. They did manage to get to the group before they could realize what was going on after all.

Kuroko, who had been watching the exchange, felt betrayed but also angry. He wasn't angry at Furihata. He was angry at himself. He let himself believe Furihata was like him, that he was just someone who wanted to pitch in and stay with the group just for survival. He didn't want to believe that he was a traitor. But he was, and now his group was going to pay for it.

By now everyone had woken up whether they wanted to or not. As they woke, they were all startled when they realized they were surrounded by unknown people pointing guns and all kinds of weapons towards them. They all stood up, their hands above their heads.

"You did well in tricking us." Akashi spat, "What is our aim?"

The member of the group who wore glasses, approached the redhead, "You stepped into our territory. Did you really think you could escape alive after doing that?"

Akashi smirked, "I go where ever I please."

The group watched Akashi and his group with caution, ready should they make a move, "A cocky one aren't you? You're probably the leader right?"

"Who knows~" Akashi sarcastically said as the man was getting annoyed. "Take it easy Hyuga~ He's just teasing you."

"I know that idiot!" The man with glasses and black hair, Hyuuga, raised his voice at the other member of his group who was one of the tallest amongst them. "Let me handle this Kiyoshi."

"I say we take their supplies... s-sir." The tall redhead who was restraining Kuroko added, not letting the smaller teen go just yet. "Shut up idiots! Who's the one in charge here!? Obvio-" Bam!

"I am!" Suddenly a woman's voice shook through the resort, shocking everyone. When she appeared within Kuroko's and everyone's sight, they noticed that she had short brown hair and wasn't very tall. She walked up to Akashi, looking up at him with her arms crossed.

"My name is Riko Aida and I'm in charge of these idiots. We call ourselves Seirin and occupy this area. So... you must be the leader of the group. Tell me, what brings you to these parts?" Akashi's and Riko's eyes locked.

"I have no obligation to tell you. Leave us be and we'll be on our way. We have no business with you." Akashi said but just like Hyuga, Riko was annoyed. Meanwhile, Kiyoshi laughed.

"Haha! He really is a tough one."

"Shut up Kiyoshi!"

Riko smiled, "I know how to handle people like you." She looked over at the redhead restraining Kuroko who nodded back. Suddenly he reached over to his pocket, taking a small pocket knife out and holding it up to Kuroko's neck. "Tell us what you're doing here or your friend dies."

With the knife to his neck, only then did Kuroko stop struggling. He grimaced, trying to move his head away from the knife but proved useless. He glanced at Akashi, giving him a look that told him not to say anything.

However Akashi didn't even get a chance to speak before someone else spoke up. "H-Hey.. this isn't necessary.. right?" Furihata reluctantly said, looking between Kuroko being restrained and his leader.

"What are you saying Furi? We have to do this to get their supplies." The bald one, Kawahara, said in confusion. "They tortured you didn't they? You have some scars on your hands and neck." Fukuda added. They could only see as far as hands and neck but who knew if there were more scars on Furihata's body.

"Yeah. It wouldn't be a bad thing if the same happened to them. It's just.." Another member replied, looking over at Kuroko. He glanced at his neck and was confused to see a scar similar to Furihata's on Kuroko's neck. "..karma?" Why would one of the group members have scars too?

"U-Um.. but they're.." Furihata did agree to do this. To travel with this group and see what they're like. What their strengths and weaknesses were. But he didn't agree to senseless violence. Why couldn't they just take their stuff and leave?

Riko didn't waver, "So? Tell us what you're doing here." her eyes were trained on the redhead before who glanced over at the restrained Kuroko. With not much of a choice, he spoke up. "We're in search of an item that is on this mountain. Once we find it, we will leave." He informed but that clearly wasn't enough.

"What item exactly?"

"I can't tell you that but I assure you that once we find it, we will leave this city." This city is their 'territory' so there would be no problems if they leave.

Riko had her hands crossed as the others behind her kept an eye on the group, mainly on Aomine who seemed ready to attack at any minute, keeping his eyes on Kuroko and the tall redhead. He and the redhead, Kagami, were on edge as if ready to fight.

"I can't let you go off like that. Even if you are searching for something, you are still in our territory. Don't underestimate us." The Seirin members took off the safety off their guns as the atmosphere tensed.

"You'll be coming with us." Riko said as some of the members went to restrain the others.

"Please, we really will leave once we find what we need!" Kuroko insisted despite the knife against his throat. If they couldn't complete their mission, they would never get rid of these monsters roaming their land.

"Don't waste your breath." The redhead behind him said as the rest of Kuroko's group was restrained. "Let's head back to the base." Riko commanded and the others did just that. Seirin took the group's supplies and everything they had with them before leaving the building.

Kuroko struggled to get out of the redhead's hold but it was in vain. The other had a tight grip on him, not letting go at all. The others struggled as well but since their weapons didn't work against humans and they were outnumbered, they had little chance of escape. However, they didn't want to relive their previous imprisonment, which motivated their efforts much more.

Unknown to Seirin and the others, Akashi held his head low as they all walked in a line, in a sort of formation. Akashi smirked; his left eye completely gold and his right eye had tints of gold in it. He glanced to the side at the top of the mountain where the sun was hidden behind the clouds.

Everyone was either miserable or angry. Kuroko? He didn't know which. Both maybe? He couldn't believe the group was going to be imprisoned again. At least this time it wasn't his fault... or was it? If he had noticed them busting in earlier, could he have prevented all this?

"Why.. can't we just find what we're looking for and leave..?" Kuroko asked to himself, not knowing that the redhead behind him could hear.

"Life isn't that easy." The redhead behind him said. Even though Kuroko was talking to himself, he couldn't help but say it.

"But we're all in the same boat. We don't want anything to do with your territory or supplies or anything like that." Kuroko insisted, glancing back at the person holding him.

"Yeah right, as if I would believe you." The other huffed, not bothering to look at the other.

Kuroko frowned and tried not to make any smart replies. He just slowed down until he wasn't walking anymore. He could get hurt by it but if it slowed down the process of imprisonment, he didn't care.

"Oi! Move it!" Kagami pushed the other, trying to get him to walk because the others that were walking behind them had to stop as well, slowing everyone down.

"No." He flat out refused. He was not going to let the group get imprisoned again. He didn't want them to go through it another time. Especially if they got tortured again...

"K-Kuroko, it might be best just to listen.." Furihata suggested but when the other looked at him, he quieted down. Kuroko didn't seem mad at him, but he looked pretty determined. It was a bit scary since it didn't seem like he cared about the consequences.

"Oi! What'a happening back there!" Hyuga and Riko who were at the front of the line stopped, turning back when they noticed the end of the line wasn't following. "N-Nothing sir!" Kagami assured, pushing the other harder until he fell down on the snow.

"Kagami you're too hard on him." Kiyoshi who was walking behind him with a restrained Akashi said. "B-But he won't listen!" Kagami leaned down to grasp the other's hands. "Get up. Don't cause a scene and move it. You're captured so deal with it."

The snow was cold, but Kuroko ignored the coldness for now. He'd prefer the cold over imprisonment any day. He took a deep breath to focus and use his misdirection. He wouldn't be able to do much to free the others since he's just one weak person, but he wasn't going to do nothing or abandon them. At the exact moment Kagami's eyes widened with surprise, Kuroko kicked hard against his stomach to get him to let go of his hands. He quickly got up, backing away from Kagami who seemed both shocked and infuriated.

"Y-You!" Everyone was surprised, getting out their guns and pointing them at Kuroko. There was silence as everyone was on edge. Aomine smirked, kicking the person that was restraining him and pushing him away. It wasn't long before the rest of the group did it as well, that is everyone except for Akashi.

As the group fought, guns were fired but they managed to evade. They grouped together, having each other's backs. Soon enough they were surrounded but something didn't feel right. Everyone could hear noise but they didn't know where it was coming from.

"N-No way." Riko was left speechless when she saw an avalanche at the top of the mountain, falling right on them.

"W-Why is there an avalanche?" One of the group members asked but of course no one had the answer. It couldn't have been their guns right?

"We can't stay here!" Kuroko said quickly, already seeing some of Seirin's members run.

Everyone ran but it was useless no matter how fast they did. The avalanche was huge and fast, about to catch them and eat them whole. Kuroko wasn't sure if he heard right but he swore he could hear howls or better yet the monster's voices, but he wasn't sure due to the massive noise of the avalanche.

Kuroko tilted his head around instinctively to see if the monsters were there but was shocked when he saw Akashi just standing right where they left him. Without thinking, Kuroko turned around and ran to him. Every ounce of his body was telling him to run away but he just couldn't leave Akashi there!

He ran as fast as he could in the high snow as he made his way back to Akashi. How could no one realise he hadn't moved? Why hadn't Akashi moved? "Akashi-kun!" Kuroko reached Akashi, grasping his arm to get him to turn around. When their eyes locked, Kuroko felt dread and fear fill him when he saw the other Akashi's golden eye. Then it disappeared as the avalanche reached them and attacked without mercy.

The snow was cold and dark, eating away anything in its path. A massive amount of snow covered almost the entire mountain, silence after the catastrophe had happened. Not a sign of life could be seen nor heard as the cold winds blowed across the pain. However, there was movement of a pack of creatures, sniffing the ground as if looking for something.

The creatures with white fur moved in a pack like wolves, moving at the same direction of the scent they smelled. They moved until they finally stopped. They whined and began digging when suddenly something from within the ground moved, pushing away the snow that was there.

Akashi sat up, not fazed by the avalanche at all as the creatures surrounded him, licking him and whining. The redhead pat them while smiling, standing up. When he stood up, Akashi smirked at the sight before him. He noticed a hand sticking out of the ground, ordering the creatures to dig out the rest of the body.

The wolf like creatures got to work, digging when finally Kuroko's body emerged from the ground. Immediately as they saw who it was, the creatures began growling but stopped when Akashi ordered them to. The redhead kneeled down beside the bluenette and began slapping him on the cheek to wake up.

Feeling the stinging pain, which made his red cheeks turn even more red, Kuroko woke up with a jolt. He instinctively sat up but nearly cried when he felt pain in his shoulder. It probably wasn't dislocated (or at least he hoped it wasn't) but it still hurt a ton. Then he finally noticed the creatures around him and Akashi. Or.. the other Akashi. He stared them with a mix of fear and awe. So the creatures did adapt to the cold... they almost looked like over sized wolves. "Akashi..kun..?" He said under his breath, wishing the other Akashi would come back and for these monsters to go away.

The redhead looked down at the other in amusement, "So frail, but I suppose that's how humans are. Trying to act mighty but in all truth are fragile like glass." Akashi and the creatures watched the other who was in the hole they dug him in while they were out, looking at him from above. "Now, would you like to join us or would you prefer to stay there?"

Of course he didn't want to stay there. It was cold and he was in pain. If he stayed there, he would die. He couldn't help Akashi if he died. Kuroko slowly got up, struggling to get out even if it was just snow. His shoulder was throbbing and his whole body ached. He was just lucky the avalanche didn't kill him. But what about the others? When he got out, he tiredly looked around. He couldn't see anyone... where could they be? "The others.. we have to find the others.."

"Go ahead. Search for them aimlessly until you finally drop and die, wasting my efforts to save you." Akashi stood up, "I have better things to do."

"What about the group? Don't you care for them?" Kuroko asked, grabbing Akashi's hand tightly. "You said you wanted to keep them safe!"

"I did but now that they've fulfilled their purpose I have no more use for them." Akashi moved his hand away from Kuroko with great force, narrowing his eyes, "I wouldn't test my luck if I were you. You tricked me not once but twice now. I should kill you right here and now but that wouldn't give me the satisfaction I need."

Kuroko could only stare at Akashi, stuck on what to say. This Akashi didn't care about the group... He never did. He could care less if they all were dead, him included. He frowned a little and looked away. What should he do? Look for the group? Look for the device? Well his priority right now was Akashi.

Hoping to take the other by surprise, he tried using his misdirection even if he knew Akashi had the Emperor Eye, and lunged towards Akashi.

Akashi swiftly moved, his eyes trained on the bluenette that moved for the attack. Kuroko moved his hand for a hit but it was soon stopped by Akashi who grabbed his hand in his. The redhead swung the other in the air, before he landed in the snow again, the creatures surrounding him in a second, growling at him from all sides.

"I'm sorry but it won't work a third time." Akashi said as Kuroko gasped from the pain of being thrown down. That added to his already existing pain and soreness. "But you're more than welcome to kiss one of these children. They're more than willing to kiss you back." Akashi teased as he watched Kuroko in amusement and satisfaction.

Kuroko took deep breaths even if the cold air pained his lungs. He felt a bit dizzy but mostly sore and cold. He really wanted to get off this mountain. "I'm.. sorry.." He said, looking up at Akashi. "Please.. can we just please.. at least try to find the others? Your monsters.. they could make the work faster."

The creatures growled. "How rude, calling these children 'monsters'. You call them that yet you expect them to help you?" Akashi looked down at the other as the creatures growled, some even began barking at the bluenette. "As I said before, I have better things to do, besides..."

Akashi looked over to the side and noticed the winds picking up. "A snowstorm is coming."

Kuroko slowly sat up, feeling the ache in his spine. He looked at where Akashi was looking and frowned. He couldn't just give up on the group... but it wouldn't do them any good if he were dead anyway... "...What do we do then?" If he wanted to live, he had to stay with Akashi.

"I don't know what you'll do but I and these children will search for a shelter." Akashi began walking away as the creatures that surrounded Kuroko went to Akashi, following him.

Kuroko didn't want to be left behind in the cold, so he got up as fast as his sore body would let him and followed Akashi. "W-Wait, let me come too."

Akashi tilted his head to the side just in time to see Kuroko stumble and fall back into the snow, making him smirk, "Suit yourself." Akashi amusingly said as he resumed walking.

Kuroko didn't like it how the other was amused whenever he fell or got hurt. But he didn't say anything and got up again, shaking as he followed Akashi. He was really cold. His skin was practically turning red, especially his cheeks and nose. He hugged himself as he wondered where Akashi would go to escape the snowstorm. "...D-Do you think.. there'll be a way to make a fire if we find some place to shelter from the storm..?"

Akashi sighed as he glanced back at Kuroko again. The other was freezing and barely walking, truly a pitiful sight. Akashi moved his hand, giving the creatures a command which they followed. Two of the wolf like creatures stopped before walking up to either side of Kuroko, walking closely beside him.

Kuroko was scared at first but when they didn't attack, he supposed he wasn't going to be killed just yet. He knew it was bad to do so, but he relished the warmth as much as he could. It was still hard to walk but at least his whole body wasn't suffering as much anymore.

They walked and walked for what seemed like hours, due to the injury and the cold conditions, but finally they spotted a cave in the distance. "Is this the one?" Akashi turned to one of the creatures beside him as it gave a confident bark. The winds were picking up faster and faster and as soon as they knew it, they almost couldn't see anything due to the storm.

They quickly went into the cave, hiding from the winds. Akashi and the pack entered first as Kuroko lagged behind them with he two creatures beside him. Once they reached the end of the cave, they settled down. "Be grateful they kept you warm and helped you walk." Akashi sharply said, "Ungrateful human."

"I'm sorry.." Kuroko mumbled, going to one side of the cave. It wouldn't feel right to sit with the rest of them. Not because they were monsters, but because he was afraid he'd get attacked or Akashi would do something again.

He sat by the wall and brought his knees to his chest, hugging them tight as he tried to stay warm on his own. The monsters were lucky, having fur and all…

Akashi leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as some of the creatures began licking his face. He told them off but soon gave another command. The redhead didn't say anything so it confused Kuroko as to how he did it but it wasn't long before about three of the creatures suddenly ran out of the cave.

Kuroko watched as the remaining creatures all laid down beside the redhead, keeping him warm. Akashi tiredly sighed, opening his eyes to look at the bluenette. There was silence for a long time as the strong winds blew outside. Kuroko noticed the creatures that were sent out return, place a wood branch they picked up in the center, between Kuroko and Akashi, before venturing out again. By now Kuroko figured out that they were sent out to gather wood, probably for a fire.

The remaining creatures that were lying down beside the redhead looked over at Kuroko from time to time, "Traitor..."

"Kuroko Tetsuya..."

"Cold..."

"Hungry..."

It was hard to concentrate on relaxing and warming up when he kept hearing these voices. He covered his ears for a while but even that didn't work. He would've gotten irritated but he was too cold and tired to care. "Akashi-kun.." He suddenly called out to the other. "I-I know I said rude things but.. please.. can I sit by you?" He badly wanted, needed, the warmth. It was cold being by himself while Akashi was surrounded by monsters with warm fur.

Akashi wasn't surprised, knowing Kuroko would eventually ask. He didn't respond but closed his eyes again as he leaned on the wall. Although Akashi didn't say anything, three of the creatures stood up and walked to the bluenette threateningly. Kuroko was frightened as the three creatures surrounded him before laying down beside him, engulfing him in their fur. He didn't know how Akashi did it but it was like the creatures understood the redhead without him even saying the command verbally.

"I would rather have you as far away as possible. Who knows what you might pull off." The redhead moved to lay down, using one of the creatures as his pillow while the others repositioned themselves to keep him warm.

Kuroko didn't respond and just looked at the creatures. He guessed it was fine... He was too tired to care. He closed his eyes, leaning towards the warmth, even going as far as using the creature like a pillow as well. He felt a lot better than before now that he wasn't as cold. So now he was just tired. He let himself relax despite being surrounded by dangerous monsters and even fell asleep.

When Kuroko opened his eyes again, he noticed that the cave was lit up. He moved his head slightly and noticed that there was a camp fire right where the creatures Akashi sent out were placing the wood at. Judging by the strong winds outside, Kuroko guessed that the snow storm wasn't over yet. In fact, it wasn't even morning yet. It was still nighttime.

Kuroko tiredly watched the fire burn before him but as he watched the fire, he noticed that Akashi was awake as well. He didn't say anything as he tried going back to sleep but it just wouldn't come to him. Not when he doesn't know if the others are safe and sound or... dead in the snow.

Kuroko shuddered at the thought of finding their frozen bodies in the snow outside. Akashi tiredly watched the other, noticing that he's awake as well. He couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him for a while now.

"Why?" He began, getting Kuroko's attention. "Why would you decide to go against me when you could have joined me?" He asked, referring back to the time when Kuroko kissed him for the first time. He offered him power and the position where Kuroko could rule with him in the new world but the other didn't take it. Even though Akashi did nothing to harm him or provoke him, the other still refused. Why?

Kuroko looked at Akashi before looking back at the fire. Why did he refuse? Well.. maybe it was because he felt like it wasn't the right thing to do? Hurting people for some reason Kuroko didn't know yet... Akashi said it was for the "greater good", but Kuroko didn't think that was it.

"I don't... I don't really know. Before I refused because I thought you were power hungry but after figuring out my parents and my connection to all this... I don't know anymore." He answered quietly, feeling parched. "But.. I don't care anymore. I just want the group and Akashi-kun to be safe and sound. But everyone else is.. they could be out of the snow or.."

The redhead watched the fire before him in thought. So it was all rash thinking on Kuroko's side? Assuming things even though they weren't necessarily true. Typical for humans. "Your choice that day, whether you realize it or not, made a huge impact of the future of the group. Instead of travelling as you did, you could have used my children which would have been a great advantage for a human like you. The situation would have been completely different." Only if Kuroko made the right choice that day.

Kuroko didn't respond at first, thinking about it. If he had agreed to stay with Akashi, the group would've been safe... "Please.." He said, looking back at Akashi. "I'll join you. I'll do whatever you want me to do. Just please, can't you send some of the children to go find the group? I'll do anything, please.."

"Begging won't help you now. You've made your choice that day in the nest that cannot be reversed. Changing your mind now when it suits you is really sickening." Akashi hissed, expressing his disgust. "If you're in such anguish then ask them yourself. They're living beings just like you are."

"But.. they wouldn't listen to me.." Kuroko mumbled, glancing at the monsters around him. But if it's for the group, he had to try. He couldn't let them die in the snow. He looked at one of them, too afraid to ask all of them. "Can you.. please find them?" He felt like he was speaking to a pet or even just an animal.

"Kuroko Tetsuya..."

"Can't trust..."

"Weak..."

The monster looked at him but that's all it did.

Kuroko looked down and turned away from the monster. He looked back at Akashi. He knew it wouldn't work... why did he even try? "Please Akashi-kun.. please, I really am begging you. I'll help you anyway way I can, just please!" The group was all he had left. He couldn't let them die without trying everything he could.

"Silence! I told you already that I won't help you! I extended my hand to you before but you refused it! I won't help you! You should be grateful I don't kill you right here and now. If you're so desperate then go yourself." Akashi raised his voice as the creatures that were laying beside him and Kuroko perked up. "If you were truly desperate then you would go yourself. I know... you already know there's no hope of finding them."

Kuroko flinched a little, looking out of the cave and at the snowstorm just outside. He couldn't go out there alone... even if he did, he wouldn't have the capability to find them all himself. He looked down at the ground, frowning as he tried holding back his emotions. "It's not fair.. it's not fair." He muttered. His parents and that organization caused all of this. If this apocalypse hadn't started, no one would've died like this. Akashi wouldn't be suffering either. "It's not fair! They didn't deserve to die!"

"The world isn't fair. If you would have experienced it then you would know. Ignorant little human, it's not even worth killing you." Akashi hissed, disappointment clear in his voice.

"I know the world isn't fair! But that didn't mean they deserved to die!" Kuroko argued. "You have no use for me. Just kill me." He insisted. "I don't have the group any more. Just do it."

"Do it yourself." Akashi's cold tone was just as cold as the snow outside.

"Fine." Kuroko said and got up. But instead of going outside, he started heading towards Akashi, making the monsters tense up and growl. "How about I fight you to do it? Maybe I'll accidentally get thrown in the fire or you'll choke me to death. Who knows, maybe your children will kill me before I even lay a punch."

Akashi chuckled before he laughed, "Hahaha! You're insane! The human mind truly never ceases to surprise me!" Akashi laughed but the monsters didn't stand up, however, that didn't mean that they weren't on edge. "Do you want your blood on someone's hands that badly? If you want to die then do it yourself. So selfish." The redhead brushed the tears of laughter away from his eyes. "Or do you want to be killed by the one you love? How unfortunate it is that you didn't get what you want. I can already see it..."

Akashi's and Kuroko's eyes locked as the redhead stared at him with a smirk, "You were a loner with no friends. You did have one friend... Shigero was his name, am I right?"

Kuroko stiffened a little at the mention of his only friends' name. "No... no. Shut up. Don't say anything like that again." He already dealt with his feelings for Ogiwara's death. He didn't want to be reminded and break again.

Akashi's smirk widened. "You were alone all this time weren't you? Neglected by others who ignored you, watching the others have fun and enjoy their youth while you always sat at your desk all alone. Not only at school but at home as well. Your parents were rarely around." Akashi stood up and so did the creatures beside him. "Shigero was your only solace~ Too bad he died~ Now you're all alone again~"

"No, that's not true. Just shut up. You don't know anything." Kuroko said harshly. "I didn't care about people outside. I didn't. Shut up."

"Really? Your heart and mind say otherwise." Akashi taunted, "Perhaps it's too painful to bear so you choose to ignore it, but yet you're still aware of it. You refuse to realize the truth and that is that you're not wanted. You'll never be loved back."

"No, I don't care!" Kuroko said. "I told Akashi-kun I only wanted to love. I don't care if I'm not loved!" But he knew he was lying. He wanted to be loved and wanted as well. Especially by Akashi, but that would be impossible too.

"Why continue to lie to yourself? Isn't it about time that the wall you've built around yourself is broken? Perhaps if you face the truth face on, something could change? But then again it's already too late."

"It doesn't matter. No one is here to love me. The group is all gone and Akashi-kun.. He told me he can't love, and I can't.. I don't think I can help him." Kuroko muttered. "I want to, but I'm not the right person for the job.."

"Love doesn't exist in this world anymore only the need for survival. Nobody can help my host and you. He'll die soon and you'll be left to wonder on your own. If you're lucky enough, you might survive long enough to see the new world I'll create. A world without human influence."

"But you're human." Kuroko said. "I don't understand... you hate humans but you're a human yourself aren't you?"

"My host may be human but I'm not. Don't compare me to your lowly species." Akashi hissed, "I'm not of this world. I came from a faraway place far away from this galaxy. However, I lost my way and found myself on this planet. As soon as I landed the humans didn't waste time to investigate the crash site and found me. Of course you can guess how the story goes on from here. Humans are greedy and would use anything in their power to use my powers for their aims. Even using you as a means to control me." Akashi touched his chest.

"Soon enough I'll take over the host completely and turn into my true form. I won't stay in this unsightly human appearance."

...Is he really implying that he's an alien or something? Kuroko sighed, not knowing whether to be confused or angry. He didn't expect the other to say something like that. "Akashi-kun is not unsightly. He's a very nice looking human being you know." He grumbled. "And what do you mean using me as a means to control you? I haven't met you until the apocalypse, and I chose what I did by myself."

"You did meet me. Long time ago when you were but an infant. I didn't have this appearance at the time. I was just a stone that was defenseless against the humans who did what they wanted with me." Akashi narrowed his eyes; "You're connected to me in a way unknown to you. It could also be the reason for your loneliness."

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Alright so the thing glitched again but luckily we'll pull through ;3; uh, sorry for the late update again! We tend to forget a little but now we got a new system set up to help us! Uh, enjoy the chapter!

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Konichiwa! XD THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS EVERYONE! We REALLY REALLy enjoyed reading them and finding out what you think about the story, along with your speculations XD They're soooo interesting! I can't help but be excited to read them! And a huge thanks to GUEST who wrote such a long review! It's definitely one of the longest reviews yet! You wrote so much and it was really interesting to hear your thoughts XD Interesting... But I did read every single review! I swear! And hehe~ we'll continue to break your fragile little hearts our dear readers~ *evil* BUHAHA! XD

I tried to fit the note into a shorter note :( Hopefully I didn't forget to cover something... if I did I'll mention it in the next note :) Bye! See you next week! *HUGS EVERYONE* XD

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	19. File 19

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Akashi turned to look at the fire, "When your mother became pregnant, your parents as well as their co-workers saw you as another chance to control me. An addition to the countless infants that were brought in order for them to find a compatible host for me. The many children before you failed, making the scientists of the company restless. They couldn't find anyone no matter how hard they searched. However, when your mother gave birth to you and you came into this world, something unthinkable happened."

His eyes left the fire to look at Kuroko again, "They finally found a suitable host. You underwent the synchronization experiment and were at 99% compatibility when their hopes came crushing down on them again. That 1% was enough to stop the synchronization, making the experiment a failure. Your parents as well as the rest lost all hope."

Then came another twist to the story, "However, as you grew, your parents continued to bring you into the laboratory for further tests, hoping to somehow overcome the 1%. By the time you were 4 years of age, you shocked everyone yet again. You began to communicate with me, which was unthinkable for anyone else. Your parents and the rest let you play with me, forming a bond with me and these children."

The creatures beside them whined, "We were your 'playmates', playing with you in an isolated room while the scientists observed us. These children loved you and you loved them back, but of course you wouldn't remember that now. However, since you weren't compatible with me as my host, nothing else could be done. The corporation began making plans to make use of your ability when suddenly new news came."

Akashi paused, letting the information sink in, "The man who owned the corporation wasn't satisfied and wanted me under control. He tracked down his son that he had disowned long ago who was the same age as you and decided to test him, and thus the scientists found their new guinea pig. Another synchronization experiment took place. Nobody had high hopes and didn't think they would find a better host than you but they were mind blown yet again. The compatibility was 100% and everyone was finally content that they've found a host for me, after all these years of searching. It was also suitable for the corporation owner because it was his son who became my host, thus he could use me as much as he wished."

Akashi looked at the fire again, "Since they've finally found a host for me, there came a question of what they would do with you. They thought they could use you further but your parents were against it. The thing you call love was the reason. They felt pity for you and wished for you to live a normal life and so you were let to go."

Once again, Kuroko was stuck. He didn't have a clue on how to respond. He had been friends with this Akashi and the monsters? But the thing he said about Akashi...

Kuroko moved closer again, uncaring if the monsters attacked or not, which they didn't do. He sat down in front of Akashi even as the other glared and gave him a look. "...Please.. tell me more. Especially about Akashi-kun. You said he was disowned? What happened?"

"Once he became my host I saw his past." Surprisingly, Akashi looked down in pity, "He was born to one of the most powerful men in the world, and the most influential man of Japan. His father was at the top of the world but not his mother. His mother was a prostitute who was hired by the man for pleasure. One thing led to another and so the woman became pregnant. It was an accident but she didn't want to give up on the child. For both financial reasons and for her other motives."

He looked up at Kuroko, "The woman kept the child's existence hidden from his father because if he would have known, he would have immediately asked for an abortion. The woman waited and once the child was born, she immediately revealed his existence to the man. The man denied it to the media and her, claiming that the child could be anyone's child."

A pause, "The woman was desperate for some share of the wealth, using the child as a means of achieving it, but the man was smarter and a step ahead of her. He hired men who came to her house one cold night and killed her in cold blood. They took the child to the father but when he saw the baby for the first time, he told them to throw it away, that it wasn't even worth killing."

Another pause, "And so the child was thrown out into the trash cans, left to fend for itself. Of course the baby would die on its own but luckily it was found by an elderly woman who took care of him. That is until the child reached the age of 3 when the elderly woman suddenly died of old age. With nowhere else left to go, the child had to live on the streets. He was homeless for about 2 years before the man's men tracked him down and took him in to be tested for the synchronization test which he passed."

"He.. went through all that?" Before Akashi was even a toddler, he was forced to grow up and fend for himself. He never even knew the term child or what it's like to actually enjoy life with no responsibilities.

"Why? Why are people so.." Unfair? Cruel? Disgusting? Yes, even Kuroko thought of that last word all on his own. Akashi's father disgusted him. Buying women, getting one pregnant, then denying her and their child. Then after killing that woman, he stole that child just to use it for experiments. This had to be what Akashi was speaking about that one night when he was receiving "punishment". He talked about rich men buying prostitutes and never being loved as he lived on the streets. So this.. is what he went through...

"Akashi-kun.. I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.." He knew the real Akashi wasn't there, but it was the only thing he could think of saying. "Those people.. they were cruel. I'm sorry you had to go through that.."

The redhead watched in confusion, giving Kuroko a look, "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything." Humans are really strange, "But then I suppose you have something in common. You're both unwanted."

"That's.. that's untrue. It's true that I'm unwanted and unloved, but Akashi-kun is definitely loved. The group loves.. loved him. I love him. He's not unwanted. I don't care if I'm unwanted. As long as Akashi-kun knows he's loved, I don't care." Kuroko responded.

Akashi's brow rose as he noticed something strange. He sensed Kuroko's mind and surprisingly his words were honest and true, no dishonesty or lies at all. How unexpected. "You're strange, just like back then when we used to play together."

Kuroko smiled slightly as he looked down. Of course he didn't remember but did anything like that really matter? "I guess I really am and always will be that weird naive person no one played with. Except you and the children."

Akashi sighed, "Strange human, but don't think this will change anything. I still won't extend my hand to you, not after you've already refused it." The creatures all lay back down, except for the three that were lying down with Kuroko, "Be grateful that I'm letting you live."

"You know, you really aren't that bad. And I mean it." Kuroko said before standing up to return to his spot by the monsters. "Despite being something that isn't even from this world, you'd play with an infant like me. You'd take care of these children as of they were your own." He smiled again. With the group gone, all he had left was Akashi and the other Akashi. "But... if I may ask... is there anything I could call you? I know it's weird but.. I keep calling you "other Akashi" and.. it's a bit rude right?"

"I'm anything but kind." The other hissed, not liking the friendly tone Kuroko used on him. "I don't have a name. It's a human trait to assign names to individuals and objects. The scientists labeled me 'Ignis' or 'UO', short for unidentified object. I prefer none of those and am fully content without a name."

Even if the other hissed at him, Kuroko still smiled. "Keep acting like that and I'll have to call you tsundere~" He teased. He returned to his side of the cave and sat back down by the three monsters that kept him warm before. "...Will I ever get to talk to Akashi-kun again?" He asked quietly. "..I want to at least tell him I know about his past, even if he gets angry. I really just want him to know he's loved.."

"You won't. It's better for him to stay within me as I take over. This way he won't have to face the world which rejected him anymore. Inside me, he's safe until the end of time." Akashi said as he leaned on the wall. Kuroko noticed that the right eye which still had tints of red it in was almost completely golden.

"Please.. I just want to let him know. I won't hurt him. Please, let me see him again." Kuroko continued.

"Do you not understand what a 'no' means?" The redhead sighed as he lay back down with the creatures snuggling closer to him, "I've given you much more than what you've bargained for yet you ask me for more favors? How selfish."

"It's not for me though. It's only for Akashi-kun." Kuroko corrected. "I really meant it when I said I wouldn't mind dying. But I don't want Akashi-kun to die without knowing he's loved!"

The other turned around so that his back faced Kuroko, "Just like back then when you cried when I didn't give you your toy back. Only this time I won't so shut up and leave me alone."

Kuroko looked at him, a bit hurt at the tone. But he didn't push it and just laid down again. They should be getting their strength up while the storm is still outside…

The night went on as strong winds blew outside of the cave. The bluenette was fast asleep while Akashi was staring at he ceiling above him. He tilted his head to the side to see a sleeping Kuroko, surrounded by three of his children. When he turned at Kuroko's direction, one of the creatures perked up, exchanging eye contact with his parent.

The creature turned again, placing its paw gently on Kuroko's forehead.

"That's marv..ello...s! None of our subjects... ever... could... talk!"

"He could be.. the... perfect!"

"Finally we..."

Faint voices spoke as Kuroko's fazed eyes opened. As his eyes slowly focused, he could see a window and behind it many people in white coats. He tilted his head slowly to the sides and slowly noticed that he was in an empty white room. He blinked and blinked until he saw a baby, sitting down on the floor with the creatures.

The baby had teal blue hair and wore a completely white onesie as he interacted with one of the creatures which was on it's back, letting the pet him on the stomach. There were a total of five creatures that were in the little white room with the baby, snuggling to him, licking him and playing with him, but contrary to what you might think, they were unexpectedly gentle, fully aware that the baby is just an infant.

"Subject..."

"Yes but... look..."

The scientists spoke behind the window, observing the infant and the creatures interact. However, it wasn't only the baby and the creatures that were in the room but also something else. A small ruby stone, which resembled a diamond, was floating in the air near the baby. What was strange is that there was some kind of red smoke which seemed to act as the stone's limbs, picking the baby up in the air gently before placing it back down safely.

"11..."

"but he's..."

Kuroko opened his eyes before the scientist could finish his sentence. He's what? What is he? Then he paused and tried to think it over. He had a dream... about being a baby while playing with the creatures... what is this?

He slowly looked around, noticing it was a bit dark inside the cave. He looked over at the entrance, frowning when he saw it almost half closed from snow. He looked back around and noticed everyone was asleep. The other Akashi and creatures... but not the group. He felt a bit dreadful but he tried to push the feeling down. Now was his chance to say something to Akashi.

He didn't want the other Akashi to hate him even more, but he just needed to talk to Akashi. He slowly got up so the creatures weren't disturbed by his movements. Then as quietly as he could, he headed over to the sleeping Akashi. He kneeled down beside him, watching him sleep peacefully.

"...Look, I'm sorry," He started quietly. "I just want to see Akashi-kun again, to let him know he's loved and wanted. Please don't hate me." And when Akashi suddenly opened his eyes, Kuroko panicked so he just leaned down and kissed him quickly.

As soon as their lips met, Akashi's eyes widened before he quickly pushed the other away. The push wasn't weak, making Kuroko fall backwards and onto one of the creatures who gave out one loud dog cry before quickly moving away. Kuroko gasped from the pain of being pushed but opened his eyes and noticed Akashi with one of his hands placed on his forehead, as if he was in pain.

He gave Kuroko one last 'I'll remember this' look before he fell down again onto one of the creatures.

Kuroko wished Akashi wouldn't look at him like that, but it was expected. He got up and moved closer again to make sure Akashi was okay. "Akashi-kun..? Are you okay?"

The creatures that were with them immediately stood up, growling at the bluenette, ready to jump on him if needed to. Kuroko was a bit concerned but focused on the redhead whose eyes slowly opened and much to his relief they were both red! "K-Kuro...Kuroko?"

"Akashi-kun.." Kuroko sighed in relief. He was glad Akashi was alright. But first... He slowly turned to the growling creatures. He hoped they didn't decide to attack. "Please.. I only wanted to say a few things to Akashi-kun. Whenever the other comes out, please tell him I'm sorry." He told the creatures.

The creatures growled but then stopped, laying down where they stood, all watching Kuroko's every move.

Kuroko sighed a little in relief before looking back at Akashi. "Akashi-kun, are you alright? Is everything okay?"

The redhead sat up, stretching his limbs. "A bit sore but I'll be alright." He looked around, confused, before he realized what was going on, "Did I hurt you?"

"No, you didn't. Don't worry Akashi-kun, he didn't hurt me at all." Kuroko assured. "I just.. I wanted you to know that I.. I know what happened. To you, I mean."

"What happened to me? What do you mean?" He asked, as confused as ever.

"When you were younger." Kuroko finally said. "With your father and mother and everything.."

Akashi's brow rose, slight shock on his face, "What do you mean by my father and mother? What do you know? Who told you?" He put his hands on Kuroko's shoulders, squeezing them tightly, "You don't know anything. I don't know what happened and how we got here but don't you dare pity me. You don't know anything about me."

"I don't pity you." Kuroko corrected. "And it's true I don't know much. But I do know what happened to you.. I'm angry they did that. But I don't pity you. I just wanted to at least say that even if that happened, I'm not your father and neither was the group. We love you Akashi-kun. We aren't like your father."

Akashi's grip on the other tightened "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He pushed the other down, startling Kuroko who was taken by surprise. When Kuroko tried to get up, Akashi moved on top of him, restraining his hands and hovering above him. Akashi's ruby eyes focused on Kuroko just like a cat as his eyes slightly glowed in the dark. "You are pitying me. Don't you dare talk about that man. He's not my father. I don't have a father."

Kuroko was completely surprised, not because Akashi pushed him down but because of how the other was acting. He was out of control, his emotions jumbled all across in a mess. Did the mention of his father really hurt him this much? Kuroko looked into the red eyes but even though they were looking back at him, it didn't seem like they were seeing him at all.

Akashi's grip on Kuroko's shoulders tightened again, "That man doesn't exist. He's not real. He's not..." Kuroko could feel slight shaking.

"You're right.. He isn't your father." Kuroko said softly, trying a different approach. "It's alright. He isn't around anymore. He's probably burning in hell where he belongs." He continued. "I'm really not pitying you Akashi-kun. I mean it. I don't pity you, I just love you."

"Shut up." Akashi's hands moved to Kuroko's shoulders, "I don't need love. Love doesn't exist. That man doesn't exist. She isn't here. There is no love." Akashi started saying random sentences, probably not even realizing what he's saying himself. "What is there to love? There's nothing to love about me. My blood is despicable. That man's blood is in my veins. It's sickening."

"Akashi-kun!" He said desperately, trying to get the others attention. He reached up to hold his face, trying to reassure him while getting his attention. "It doesn't matter if that person is related or not! You're nothing like him and you never will be! Just because he acted like that doesn't mean you will. He's just another stranger. What he did will not change you."

"Change me?" Akashi's lost eyes looked into Kuroko's as voices echoed inside his mind.

 _"Mama loves you Sei~ Never forget that."_

 _"What do you mean that bastard Masaomi denies him!? He's his son! He has to pay me to provide for him! How much? Millions of course! That man rules the whole of Japan! No, more like billions!"_

 _"Ugh! All he does is cry! Stop crying already! I have more important things to do!"_

 _"In today's news, the case of the Akashi family continues as the president of the Akashi Corporation, Masaomi Akashi, denies the allegations of a woman named Shiori, who claims the baby, named Seijuro, is truly sir Akashi's son. The court has ruled in favour of Masaomi Akashi but who knows if the DNA test will prove it to be true."_

 _"Did you hear that Sei? Your daddy is pressured. He knows the DNA test will reveal everything. Now its only a matter of time~"_

 _"Kyaaaa!"_

 _"This is the kid? Disgusting. Throw him out in the garbage where he belongs."_

 _"Hey you! That's the brat! You will finally have a purpose. Your daddy needs you."_

Akashi shook his head, tightening his hold on the bluenette under him. "No, no, no, no."

Kuroko winced a little. His shoulder still hurt so the tight grip didn't make it any better. "Akashi-kun, please, listen!" The other had an almost distant look in his eyes, so Kuroko assumed he was remembering something. He had no clue how to comfort the other into getting him back. So he just pulled him down to hug him tightly. "You're okay now! Everything that happened is in the past. It's gone, done, over with. You're here, that's what matters. You're here, loved and wanted. Don't let the past haunt you."

New set of voices echoed in Akashi's mind but unlike the previous ones he doesn't remember, these ones he remembers very well.

 _"What's a kid like you doing out in these parts of the town? Huh? Yeah my clothes are revealing so what? It's a part of my job. Hmmm... Say little one, would you like to help me? You see that mister over there? Come and hel- Awww! Hey! Come back here you brat!"_

 _"He's here again and this time with a broken guitar. Too bad it mysteriously broke~ Haha! I doubt it will help him get more cash~"_

 _"Stop playing that thing! You're bothering everyone!"_

 _"Hey you-"_

Suddenly the voices began fading away as warmth penetrated his body. It was warm and welcoming, bringing Akashi back to the cave. The mist disappeared from his eyes as he blinked, noticing the bluenette under him who was embracing him tightly. Akashi's eyes halfway closed, letting himself fall onto the other, slightly panting.

Kuroko still held Akashi even when he seemed to have calmed down. He didn't want to take his chances. He reached one hand up to softly brush Akashi's hair in hopes of calming him down further. "It's okay, really." He murmured to the other. "It's all behind you now."

The other didn't say anything, not moving or doing anything either. There was silence for a while until Akashi raised his right hand, made it into a fist and punched the ground. Unluckily the surface he hit was sharp as his fist began bleeding.

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko pulled away slightly to look at the other. "Akashi-kun! Don't hurt yourself, you're bleeding!" He grabbed Akashi's hand with both hands to keep him from hurting himself.

Akashi watched as Kuroko took his hand in his, his eyes halfway closed in thought. The creatures that surrounded them whined and howled in worry.

Kuroko quietly watched Akashi, worried he would try to hurt himself again. "Please.. don't hurt yourself."

"Am I really wanted?" He asked in a whisper. "Why?"

"Because you don't deserve to be casted away. No one does." Kuroko answered softly. "You're wanted. You're loved. I swear you are."

Akashi sensed the sincerity in Kuroko's voice and the pleading look he gave him, hoping his message would get across. The redhead smiled; amused by the fact that Kuroko was trying so hard. He raised his good hand and placed it on Kuroko's cheek, "So are you."

"What?" Kuroko was confused for a second before realizing what he meant. "Um.. I.. but I'm not.. and I don't mind if I'm not... I don't deserve it, really. As long as Akashi-kun knows he's wanted, that's enough for me."

Akashi's smile turned into a smirk as he brushed his thumb against Kuroko's cheek, "A certain someone told me that everyone wants to be loved. Does that mean that he was lying?"

"W-Well, it's true but.. I don't want to force you to love me.. Like I said, I'm content with Akashi-kun being happy.." Kuroko murmured.

"What if it isn't forced? What if its just a feeling that slowly grew? Grew and grew like a seed from the time your first became red that one time in bed." He said, referring to the time they stayed home alone.

"All the way.. since then?" Kuroko asked with shock. "B-But.. what about those things you said about not being able to love?"

"They were true. I'm not able to love and I don't know if this is it but I have a strong feeling that it is. If love is when you care for someone then this is it."

Kuroko just stared at Akashi, clueless on what to say. Akashi loved him.. He loved him and the group... He suddenly started tearing up and he tried desperately to wipe those tears away. "I'm sorry Akashi-kun.. the group.. I'm sorry..!"

The redhead cupped Kuroko's face, brushing the tears away, "We'll find them, don't worry."

"But I didn't even go out to look... I tried convincing the other but it didn't work.." Kuroko sniffed a little. "I'm sorry.."

Akashi looked out at the entrance and noticed the pile of snow, guessing it was from a snowstorm, "Even if you wanted, you couldn't have searched for them. There was nothing you could have done."

"I could have been nicer or pleaded for the children to go find them. I could've said I would join the other from the beginning and have his help all along... but I ruined his trust in me." Kuroko remembered the dream he had of him, as a baby, playing with the creatures and that weird stone.

"Everything that happened is in the past. It's gone, done, over with. You're here, that's what matters. You're here, loved and wanted. Don't let the past haunt you." The redhead smirked, throwing Kuroko's words right back at him. "If I remember correctly, that's what you said a minute ago didn't you?"

Kuroko didn't say anything for a few moments before sighing. "I guess... you're right." He mumbled. "Okay.. I won't let it haunt me. I promise."

"Good." Akashi stood up, "Now let's go search for others. They must be lost somewhere on the mountain."

"You don't think they're... you know?" Kuroko asked as he got up. "And.. what about the children? Will they follow?" If the clouds were blocking the sun, they very well could follow. It would make it easier to find them. However as Kuroko looked outside, he frowned when he saw the sun.

"Do you have that little faith in them? I'm disappointed." Akashi walked over to the entrance of the cave, beginning to push away the snow as the creatures went to him and began helping. "As for them, I'm sure they'll be fine as well. They're more than eager to follow, isn't that right?"

"Follow..."

"Outside..."

"Go..."

Kuroko smiled a little and went over to help clear the snow. "Thanks Akashi-kun." He said before looking at the creatures. "And you guys too."

Kuroko moved to pat one of them but it growled, making him step back a bit. "I don't think he likes you." Akashi said as the hole was becoming bigger and bigger.

"Yeah.." Probably because he "betrayed" the other Akashi. For some reason, he felt hurt because of it. "Sorry." He apologized to the creature before continuing to help make the hole become bigger until it was big enough for them to leave.

Once they crawled out, the strong winds hit them, making them shiver due to the cold. "First we should head back to the resort. It's possible some went there in hopes of finding us as well."

"Okay." Kuroko nodded, looking further up the mountain. Luckily the resort was in sight now that the storm was gone. "I hope someone's there.." That avalanche was pretty brutal. They were lucky to even be alive. "Oh, Akashi-kun? Can I.. um.." He was unsure of how to ask.

"What?" Akashi looked back as the creatures stood around them for warmth.

"I don't want the other you to come out.. not yet anyway. He'll be angry that I tricked him again." Kuroko finally explained. "So can I.. you know?" It really wasn't just to sneak a kiss from Akashi. He really wasn't ready to face the other yet.

The redhead sighed and walked up to the other, placing his hands on his arms, "Go ahead."

"Sorry if you don't like it.." Kuroko felt like he was forcing Akashi but he really just didn't want to face the other Akashi yet... So he leaned up to softly kiss the other on the lips.

Akashi's brow rose as Kuroko slowly moved away, "Is that it?"

"W-what do you mean?" Kuroko asked with surprise.

"That was just a peck on the lips. It wasn't a real kiss at all. If that's what you aimed for then that's fine but I doubt it would have a big effect. Unlike before, he's much stronger."

"..Fine.. I don't know how to kiss more than that but.." He could definitely try if it meant keeping the other at bay longer. He moved closer again, reluctantly placing his hands on the other's shoulders. "..Why don't you kiss me? Like you did that one night."

"Watching you do it is much more interesting but I have to admit that its rather cold. Only this once." Akashi leaned down and kissed the other quickly but gently, their tongues dancing as the cold winds blew past them. The creatures whined as the kiss was finally broken.

Their eyes locked but Akashi knew they didn't have time to waste. He turned around and walked up to one of those creatures, giving him a look whle extending his hand to him. The creature laid down in the snow while Akashi slowly got on top of it. "If we ride them, we'll get to the resort much quicker."

"Ride them.." Kuroko looked at the creature and once again remembered the dream. If they had been so gentle with a baby, riding one should be no problem right? He moved closer, trying not to seem scared when the creature growled. "Okay.." He got on with Akashi since the creature was definitely big enough for both of them.

The creature growled a bit but stood up without further protest as it slowly began walking towards the resort. In the beginning it took slow steps before the speed escalated and he ran. Not his full speed but still it was fast. The rest of the creatures followed, following the creature that had the humans on his back just like a pack leader.

Kuroko held onto Akashi tightly, hoping the creature didn't throw them off or something. That would suck. "Do you really think they'll be at the resort?"

"Don't talk and hold tight." Akashi barely managed to say as the strong winds blew past them, even stronger now that they were riding on the creature. It jumped and ran before it finally arrived at the resort. Akashi and Kuroko got off at the entrance, walking up to the doors and opening them.

Kuroko looked inside immediately but no one was there. We're they further back perhaps? Upstairs? He frowned as he walked inside, looking all around. If they weren't still in the snow, where could they be?

Kuroko and Akashi searched. Kuroko went up the stairs while Akashi covered the ground floor. But then Akashi spotted something, "Kuroko! I found something."

After hearing the other yell, Kuroko rushed downstairs, nearly falling down them in the process. "What? What did you find? Evidence that the group has been here? What?"

When Kuroko came, Akashi handed him a small piece of paper, "Look at this."

Kuroko took the paper, wondering what it could be. It was.. a letter or a note, something along those lines. It was... a ransom. But not for money. It wasn't signed by anyone, but whoever wrote it is telling them to go to the bottom of the mountain alone if they wanted their group to stay safe. It was a bribe, but this meant that the group was alive! There was a slight chance that whoever wrote it was lying, but it's a chance he'd take. "What should we do? Why would they want us in return?"

Akashi raised a hand up to his chin, "We don't know who left that note let alone their aim. We don't even know if the note is fake but right now it's all we have. We'll have to follow its instructions if we want to find the others."

"But they said come down alone. They have the group so who could they mean?" They couldn't possibly mean the creatures right? Kuroko looked outside to see if they're still there, which they were. "They couldn't know about them.. right?"

"I don't know." They just didn't have much to go on. However, they'll have to use the creatures to get down faster. "No matter what the note says, we'll use them to get down the mountain. That way we should be able to make it down before sunset."

"Okay." Kuroko nodded, determined to get down the mountain and get the group. "...And Akashi-kun? If.. If he comes out again and you end up never coming out again.. please remember what I said before. Always remember it."

Akashi didn't know what brought this on but he nodded never the less. "I won't." The two exchanged worried looks, before the redhead broke it. "We should hurry." Kuroko nodded and the two left, getting back onto the creature and taking off. However... unknown to them, there was a small hidden camera watching them from a corner.

Somewhere else, a man in a white coat was watching a large monitoring screen that showed Kuroko and Akashi getting on the creature and speeding off. The man sipped from his coffee cup as the electronic doors behind him opened.

"Our dear subjects are coming."

"Both of them?" The man who just walked in questioned. As he looked at the monitor, he sighed. "But not alone huh? They never did listen did they?"

The man in the chair smiled, "It doesn't matter. Once they see their friends, they'll more than comply to our wishes. After all, they're our property."

"It's still amazing that they've managed to live this long without too much of Ignis's help." It seems that somehow along the way, they managed to find a way to suppress Ignis.

The other narrowed his eyes at the monitor as the creatures, along with Kuroko and Akashi disappeared into the distance. He stood up from his chair, "We should prepare for the reunion. We can't keep them waiting."

Now he knows he shouldn't be talking, but Kuroko still had questions that Akashi probably couldn't answer. "W-What will we do when we get down there? I doubt they'd have the group with them... what do you think they want us for?" It had to be a trap or something. Why would they switch out the whole group for just two people?

"Perhaps its someone who knows about us." That would be one explanation, "But that doesn't have to be the case. It could very well be a trap just to lure us in with the rest." Akashi didn't know what to think but his thoughts were on Seirin. They could be the ones behind this.

"Someone who knows about us.." The only people Kuroko could think of would of course be a scientist. Did one of them perhaps survive? But how did they know they were with the group? "They had to have been following us then.. how else would they know?"

Even before they came into the city? "That could be the case. We have to take everything into consideration."

Kuroko nodded, holding onto Akashi tighter as he thought about all the possibilities. "What do we do if it's a trap? Have the monsters attack? Have them tell us where the group is?"

"Don't forget that they're holding the others hostage. We'll have to comply to their requests and go in without the creatures. If they've observed us for a long time as you say then they must have some means of doing that. Cameras perhaps." Akashi didn't notice anyone watching them but if its something like a camera then it could be possible.

"We can't control these creatures, unlike my other self, so it would be difficult for us to coordinate them."

"...We.. We don't have the ability to control them but.. we can ask." Kuroko mumbled. "I don't know what we'd ask them to do, but they aren't monsters Akashi-kun. They have feelings too and.. they can do things if you ask them to."

"I doubt they would listen to you." Every time Kuroko tries to touch them, they growl.

"Not to me but maybe to you." Kuroko said. "I don't think they like me because I keep betraying the other Akashi-kun."

Akashi didn't say anything, thinking things through, "We could try."

"Do you want to do it? Like you said, it probably wouldn't work with me." Kuroko said.

"Yes, I'll try but its better we get down first. The faster we get there, the better."

"Okay." Kuroko agreed and watched as they got closer and closer to the bottom with each minute. It was a lot faster than walking or stumbling down. He was surprised they didn't even fall yet.

The sun was slowly setting down as Kuroko and Akashi finally made it down the mountain, but here came another problem. Even though they were down, they didn't know where exactly to go. The note just said. 'go down', but didn't mention anything else other than that.

Kuroko looked around, making sure no one was around to ambush them or something. "Maybe we should ask them to hide and wait?" He suggested, referring to the creatures.

Akashi nodded, "Hide. We'll call you when we need you." Akashi said to the creatures who watched them. They hesitated but eventually took off running away. Once they were far away in the distance, they howled loudly before disappearing behind the horizon.

Kuroko watched them run until they were out of sight. "Well.. what now? They said to meet at the bottom of the mountain.."

"It's a large area to cover." Akashi was at a loss. They couldn't possibly cover such a large area. "But perhaps we could use this to think of a plan. It's better to be prepared before going in."

"Well, what should we do? We're only two people." Kuroko frowned. "It's not like we can split up either. That wouldn't be the best idea."

Akashi was about to reply but then suddenly he could hear something. The sound was quiet but it was getting louder and louder by the second. "Something is coming." He alerted the other and suddenly, they saw a small flying machine flying towards them. The two froze, watching it with caution as it descended towards them.

The small flying device was the same size as a bigger smart phone. Small but agile. It didn't land but flew down so that it was the same height as Kuroko and Akashi. "Splitting up wouldn't be the best idea. I suggest you follow my orders and everything work out just fine." The device spoke, or rather, someone spoke through it.

Kuroko narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the device. It's been a while since he's seen working technology, excluding the tablet he found from his father. Of course they wouldn't meet them in person. They knew better.

He looked over at Akashi, silently asking what they should do. Akashi did say to follow their orders before, but this was just a machine.

Akashi narrowed his eyes as well, looking at the machine. "I presume you're the one who left the note?"

"Yes. Knowing that, you know what could happen if you don't do what I say. Your friends will pay the price."

"How can we know that they're safe and sound or if they're really with you?" Akashi asked, waiting for proof.

The person on the other end didn't reply but suddenly the two were startled when a screen popped up within the device, lighting up. The two were taken aback when an image appeared and on it the group. The image showed Aomine and the rest, restrained on metallic beds with some kind of wires stuck on their bodies.

Suddenly the screen shut off before they could see anything else. "Is this proof enough?"

The image was still in Kuroko's mind been if the screen had already turned off. He felt anger fill him but he pushed it down. "What do you want? What do you want us to do?" If they wanted to save the group, they couldn't lash out or disobey.

"Follow the drone." Sensing that Kuroko and Akashi wouldn't disobey, the drone slowly flew up before it slowly began moving forward. Without another choice, the two followed the drone that was flying slowly above them.

Kuroko crossed his arms, still feeling a little angry at himself. He knew it wasn't his fault, but he felt like he could've done something to make sure they hadn't been captured. Again. "Akashi-kun.. What if they don't let the group go?" He whispered.

"Then we'll have to rely on the creatures." Right now that's their only hope.

"Do you think they're following now?" Who knows if the creatures are actually following or if they just ran off. It was unlikely since they still had to protect their parent, but you never know.

"I don't think they ran away. They're watching from a distance." Akashi didn't know how to explain it but he felt it. A feeling that he never had had developed within him. Some kind of a connection between him and the creatures.

"I don't think so either." Kuroko said and sighed. If only he could rewind time and do everything over so they could prevent them from getting captured. "Where do you think they're taking us?" He hoped it wasn't far.

"There aren't many options for a hideout or a base out in a mountain. Except..." If it was inside the mountain or underground then it would make sense.

Kuroko and Akashi followed the drone until they arrived at a dead end. They were facing the rocks of a mountain, wondering why the drone took them there but then suddenly the earth started shaking. The two were startled but suddenly the rocks split, revealing huge hidden doors behind it that opened.

"Go inside." The drone said as it flew in.

"Akashi-kun..?" If they go inside, they might not ever come out. However Akashi just nodded and they both walked inside, the doors shutting behind them with a loud thud. Despite being in a mountain during an apocalypse, they had pretty good lighting.

Not minding the lighting, the halls were very modern and white in colour. Just like entering into a modern skyscraper, only this was inside a mountain/volcano. Akashi and Kuroko followed the drone deeper into a cave, until another set of doors opened before them.

The long halls stretched up far but finally they walked up and passed the third door, revealing a modern laboratory behind it. The space was huge and had much equipment inside it, along with working computers! However, that wasn't what caught their sight. Akashi and Kuroko ran up to a window, behind it was Aomine and everyone, laying down in the same positions they were in in that clip the drone showed them before.

"Aomine-kun!" Kuroko frowned, placing his hands on the glass. He wished he could break it and free them, but it would probably only end up killing all of them if he disobeyed. "Akashi-kun.. why are they..?" They're hooked up to so many wires and machines. Who knows what they could do.

Akashi and Kuroko looked down at them in worry, noticing that they weren't moving. They were probably sedated but at least they knew that they were alive... Who knows for how long.

However, suddenly the two heard noise behind them but they were too late to react as two machines appeared behind them, catching their hands and legs with their robotic hands, restraining them with great force.

'Robots?' Kuroko thought with shock as he glanced behind them. These people actually had working robots? He struggled of course, even if it hurt his shoulder. But then they heard people walking down the hall and stopped struggling. They watched as two men who looked older than they probably are walk closer. Kuroko didn't recognize them at all.

"Welcome to our laboratory dear guests. My name is Eiji Shirogane and this is my brother Kōzō Shirogane. As you can see, we're researchers in charge of this facility." The man's smile widened, "We've been watching you for a long time and even though you may not remember, we've met a long time ago when you were all just defenceless little infants."

Just like before, Kuroko felt anger fill him. These were the people who hurt Akashi and made him go through so much torture. He just wanted to lunge out and make them pay. "You guys are the real monsters." Not the ones outside.

"That's a pretty cruel thing to say." The other man said, still smiling. "You shouldn't say things like that when you're friends are like this."

Eiji nodded, "It would be wise if you obey and listen to us. If you do that then your friends will live." Eiji approached the two, moving to stand between them.

"What do you want with us?" Akashi coldly asked as the man turned towards him. "We want to continue the experiments that took place before the apocalipse and now that we have you back, we will be able to achieve that."

"Don't you dare." Kuroko suddenly said. "Don't even think about experimenting on Akashi-kun." The others already been through enough.

"You're not really in a place where you can make demands." Kozo said, moving closer to the three.

"I don't care. Don't do it." He muttered.

"Don't worry Kuroko-kun, you won't be left out of the fun. We'll make sure to exploit every inch of your body and do what your parents refused to do. Exploit your gifts to further heights." Eiji turned to the bluenette, "We'll get rid of your disgusting human form and make you into the most powerful creature there is. I'm sure you'll serve Subject 4 well."

What his parents refused to do? Did that mean they did love him, even if it's a little? "...What about the group? What will you do with them if we agree to do this?" Which Kuroko most definitely will not accept no matter what. Not unless it came down to saving the group and Akashi.

"They'll share the same fate. We'll turn you all into what you were suppose to become years ago. You didn't possibly think we would let them walk away did you? That's naive thinking." Eiji turned to Akashi again, "But I'm disappointed. I thought you were smarter than that little Akashi brat. Hmm... Could it be that Kuroko-kun had an influence on you?"

Akashi didn't say anything but gave them cold looks. "Haha I see, so that must be the case. You've been quite the naughty one Kuroko-kun, but don't worry, we'll fix that for you. You won't be able to think anymore. You'll be just a tool, obeying our every command. I can't wait to work on that rebellious mind of yours."

Kuroko tightened his fists. He felt more than angry. He was furious. Not because they wanted to experiment on him, but because they would experiment on the rest. He didn't care what he went through, he just wanted the others to be safe.

Even with the robot holding him back, Kuroko managed to lunge pretty close to Eiji. He was so close to punching him but he was out of reach. "Let them go! I don't care what happens to me, but you better let the group go now!"

"That's not much of a threat when you're held back like this." Kozo commented which made Kuroko even angrier. "Don't worry, you won't feel angry for too long. Or any other emotion for that matter. Not when we're done with you."

"Kozo take Akashi to lab 7 while I take Kuroko-kun to lab 9. We shouldn't waste our time now that the subjects finally came to us." Eiji said as he went to Kuroko's robot, opening a hatch to input the directions.

As Kozo nodded and went over to do the same to Akashi's robot, Kuroko worriedly looked over at Akashi. He was going to experience torture all over again and he couldn't help him, just like last time. "Why do you have to experiment on Akashi-kun? He's already perfect! Please, don't torture him any more."

"He is perfect. Truly the masterpiece of all of our efforts but he's just a step far from true perfection. Once we're done with him, all of our goals and efforts will come to fruition and the world will change." Eiji said as he closed the lid of the robot.

"Since you're unstable, we should take extra precautions." Eiji reached out into his pocked and took out a black collar, putting it around Kuroko's neck. "There. With this you'll listen."

Kuroko tried pulling away as much as he could but it was pointless since it was already around his neck. So he did the first thing that came into mind. When Eiji was pulling his hands away, Kuroko lunged once again and managed to latch his teeth onto the others hand, biting down as hard as he could. He tasted metal but he didn't care.

Strangely enough the older man didn't show any signs of pain and smiled. Suddenly, a red dot on Kuroko's collar activated, sending an electric shock throughout his body.

Kuroko was forced to let go with a pained gasp. His body jolted without his permission and he just barely managed to hold back a shout of pain. He really didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.

"Don't do it too much." Kozo commented, closing the lid on Akashi's robot. "Never know if you might mess something up." And that would definitely be a shame.

"Alright." Eiji revealed a small device that was in his other hand, pressing the button to switch off the collar. The electric shocks stopped as Kuroko's body fell limp on the robot. Akashi watched in worry and utter powerlessness. He knows that if he does or says something then they might get much worse. He noticed that the hand Kuroko bit into wast a real hand but prosthetic one.

"I'll take him away." Eiji walked away to the doors on the right side with the robot that was holding Kuroko following him. "Please understand that I take no joy in seeing you like this Kuroko-kun so please do us all a favour and don't resist."

His throat hurt, but that didn't stop him from trying to get his point across. "I won't stop resisting until you let them all go.." He muttered, trying to clench his hands but the shock left his muscles weak.

While Eiji and Kuroko were going one way, Kozo was taking Akashi away to his room so they could finally begin on their long awaited experiments.

Akashi's eyes were trained on the older man before him as he walked through the corridors. He knew he won't be able to bribe him but at least he could get information. "What are you trying to achieve with these experiments?"

"Nothing much," Kozo replied nonchalantly. "Just the change of the world is all we wish to accomplish." For just a big goal, he seemed quite calm. He must've been really confident in himself.

But that didn't get Akashi anywhere. He'll have to rephrase his question, "What'll you do with me?"

"Make you even better. It's true that you are perfect but like my brother said, you are far from true perfection. Or rather, Ignis is." Kozo answered, leading Akashi into a room.

"How will you make me 'perfect' then?" Akashi asked, trying to get the other to be more specific.

"That's a secret." Kozo said as Akashi's robot moved him to a metal table but didn't put him down just yet.

The redhead looked around the room and noticed that the walls were made of glass. He noticed the group laying down in a row in the room beside him and surprisingly he noticed the doors of another empty room open, revealing Kuroko with the other scientist. This was advantageous to them because they were together, well technically because they could all see each other. Akashi guessed that the glass wall separating them must be strong, otherwise there would be no point in having it.

Akashi tilted his head up and saw that the scientist Eiji started hooking Kuroko up to wires. He turned to Kozo who began doing the same to him, "You only need me, am I right? If I agree to cooperate with you completely then will you let the others go?"

"Of course not. They can provide use too." Kozo explained. He noticed Akashi looking around, probably at the group and Kuroko. "They'll become beings you can control completely like the monsters."

Akashi thought, trying to persuade the old man into letting the others go, "I'll willingly give him control of my body. The creature inside me is what you wish for so if I disappear and let him take over without any resistance, then it'll make it easier for you and your brother to conduct your experiments. You are brothers, no, twins. I'm sure your brother would agree. Besides, there are already enough of those creatures outside to control."

"I suppose but it's not just that." Kozo chuckled under his breath. "It's fun experimenting on others. You can do whatever and get completely different results both amazing or even extraordinary."

Akashi was left without words. It was fun? Does he not care about his goal? He would rather have 'fun' experimenting on others, torturing them than taking an easier route to his goal and wish? "You're a mad man."

"Maybe but didn't you say that before to a certain someone? When that someone could hear the monsters voices?" All the way from the beginning when Akashi and Kuroko first met, Akashi had said that even if Kuroko was mad and could hear voices, it was a common trait nowadays with the apocalypse.

Akashi's eyes widened in surprise and startle. So they did watch them... But since when? When they met Kuroko? or maybe even before that? Could they have been manipulated from the very beginning?

Akashi narrowed his eyes, watching the man place the wires on him, "Those contexts are completely different. Kuroko heard voices of the creatures which was true but you on the other hand take joy in playing with other people. Causing them pain just to please yourself and your sick needs. That's truly sickening."

"To each his own opinion." The man said. An experiment's opinion meant nothing to him.

Akashi tightened his fists as he tilted his head to the side to look at Kuroko. The other was barely conscious due to the electric shock and was laying down on the metallic bed.

"If you would have listened, it wouldn't have had to led to this you know." Eiji said as he placed a wire on Kuroko's forehead, "Now it will hurt even more."

Kuroko tried moving his hand towards the scientists, not to hurt him, but just to get his attention, but of course he had already been strapped down. "Please.. just let the others go. They don't deserve this.." He mumbled tiredly.

"Save yourself the trouble and stop saying that. We won't let anyone go and that's final." Eiji put on the final wire before he walked over to a small metallic table that was beside the bluenette. The table held medical equipment such as needles and more, "Why not beg for your own life? If you do then I might spare you."

Kuroko slowly shook his head as he watched the other. "I probably deserve this.. since I've been living such a peaceful life.. but they definitely don't deserve this. Please, I won't resist if you let them go."

Eiji sighed, resuming what he was doing, "At least we gave you the satisfaction of seeing them. This way you won't feel lonely I hope~"

Kuroko wasn't sure if it would help. He would be able to see if they were alive or not, but then he'd also be able to see them getting tortured. They really didn't deserve it. "Please!.." He managed to struggle out louder than before. "Let them go..!"

Eiji didn't respond but turned around to reveal a needle in his hand. He approached Kuroko and sting him, inserting the blue liquid that was inside into his body, "With this all of your worries will go away. Sweet dreams Kuroko-kun~"

Kuroko was forced to close his eyes but when he opened them again, he thought he was in the same room. But he actually wasn't. It was the same style, but a completely different room full of computers and scientists. They were talking.. something about Japan and it's low security. They wanted to improve the security of Japan? He tiredly looked at the computer and noticed coordinates of a place close to Tokyo and... pictures of a meteorite?

"We should investigate. Who knows what it could hold." One of the scientists said and as Kuroko looked at him, he was sure he's seen someone like him before. Red hair, sharp calculating eyes... Akashi? But he looked pretty old... His father? No, that man will never be Akashi's father. He decided to just call him something different like.. evil scientist. Yeah, that suited him.

Suddenly Kuroko looked to the side, when electronic doors opened to reveal two men in black, holding a suitcase. The men didn't say anything as all of the scientists watched them in confusion. The redhead man stood up before walking up to them, "Continue the analysis." He said before leaving the room with the two men.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Once again, sorry if the story starts getting confusing. Like I said before, some parts will be explained and some won't. It might be confusing but please don't stop reading because of it. Sorry for a short note today but I'm not feeling well, so enjoy the chapter.

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello everyone! :D Thank you so much for sticking with us and reading on! So here we're starting to get more background info on our characters and... it's not the end of the flashback! There are many more things that need to be explained so look forward to that in the future chapters :) I wanted to add more but I've already crossed the 8 000 word count XD Each of our chapters are about 8 000 words long XD

Aside from that, I was REALLY REALLY surprised today! I will go to Japan in about 10 days! But I'm suuuuper scared of the plane ;3; It was a birthday gift (14th June) X Sorry for rambling on! :( I'm just scared and wanted to have someone assure me XD gomen! *bows* I won't be active for those 10 days ;3; but I'll try to update for my birthday *fingers crossed* *hopefully won't break promise like usual* :(

I'll stop my rambling now XD Thanks everyone and I really really really hope you enjoyed the chapter :D See you next week! :D

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	20. File 20

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Suddenly the scenery changed and Kuroko found himself in some kind of a dark office with the view of the whole Kyoto city. The two men in black suits stood in front of a large desk while the man with red hair, or 'evil scientist' as Kuroko decided to call him, had dawned his white robe and instead wore an elegant suit.

"The prime minister isn't content. He needs more weapons to secure Japan's future. With the American and Russian nuclear programs reaching a new stage, Japan will be left behind." One of the men said before placing his suitcase on the table.

"Of course the finance for the new project isn't a problem." The man opened the suitcase to reveal millions and millions of yen in cash. Evil scientist stared at the cash in front of him, narrowing his eyes before turning his chair around to look at the view behind him. "We're in luck gentlemen. Just yesterday, we've discovered an unknown meteorite entering our stratosphere, crash landing near Tokyo. Our units were there in a matter of minutes to retrieve the stone."

Silence, "With the meteorite recovered, we will be able to power up our drones. We won't depend on fuel anymore but a new form of energy. Japan will be the first nation to have its own source of energy, powering the remote control robots we are working on. Not only that but we're also in a stage of developing a bomb similar to the nuclear bomb. I cannot reveal much but it will be worth your investment."

Evil scientist smirked, drinking a glass of red wine he had in his hand. However... Little did they know that the meteorite they discovered would contain much more than just rock…

The scene moved one again but Kuroko didn't mind. He hated seeing that man, wishing he could just reach out and strangle him. But he just watched as the new scene played out.

Scientists were surrounding a weird glowing red stone that was just sitting on the table. They poked and prodded and just when they were about to cut it to see if anything else was inside, the scientists just went flying back as if an invisible force hit them. Then the stone shined more and lifted into the air like magic... It amused Kuroko for some reason.

The scientists panicked as red light filled the room and a few things close to the stone rose. Just as the objects, things like the scientists knives and stuff, started heading towards the scientists, the scene switched on Kuroko. He pouted, disappointed that he missed his chance to see a few scientists hurt or even killed. But then his eyes widened at the new sight.

Babies in test tubes, babies being held down while scientists injected them with needles. For the first time during all the scenes, Kuroko tried calling out but nothing came out. He wanted to stop the scientists because they were obviously killing the babies. They didn't even care. If a baby died, they carelessly got rid of it. They were cruel, heartless beings.

"This one failed as well." One of the scientists said while the other sighed. "How many more do we have to test? Man this is tiring." Their words angered the bluenette but it was nothing compared to what he saw next. Doors opened to reveal another man wearing the white robe, however, it was a face Kuroko was more than familiar with.

"Doctor Kuroko, any progress?"

The raven haired man wearing black glasses sighed, "No progress. The project can't continue if we don't find a suitable host. Only with a human host will we be able to control the massive energy emitted from Ignis." Ignis was the codename they had given the alien stone due to its red colour.

"However, as you may know, my wife is pregnant." He revealed to the other two who were more than surprised.

"Congratulations doctor Kuroko. Is it a boy or a girl?"

The man narrowed his eyes, "The gender of the baby doesn't matter. Ignis can fuse with both female and male genes if the human is compatible."

The two scientists raised a brow, "Doctor Kuroko you don't mean..."

"Huh?" It was the raven head's turn to be surprised, "Why are you surprised? Of course I'll donate my child for the cause of science and human development. Without it, humanity can't evolve. Besides..." He smiled, "I am my wife have already decided."

"Mrs Kuroko as well?" The two were surprised yet again as the elder Kuroko walked away to the test room.

At first Kuroko was confused about who Ignis was. But it was forgotten when he finally registered what his father said. They both willingly experimented on him... they decided it before he was even born... so his fate was decided even before he was alive? He didn't know who to be more angered by, the scientists or his own father. How cruel could scientists be?

Soon enough the scene changed again to another room in the building. Kuroko stood before a woman that was working on some papers, sitting on her chair with a huge belly. Two men in white robes approached her.

"How are you feeling Mrs Kuroko?" They asked as the woman looked up. She had beautiful teal blue eyes and hair to match. Her hair was short up to her shoulders and she had a very slim posture, along with pale skin. It gave off an impression that if someone would push her, she would fall down. It is very clear who Kuroko takes after after seeing her.

"I'm fine. Now stop hindering me and get back to work. I have to sign these papers." She ignored them but they didn't give up. "Calm down Mrs Kuroko. Geez~ It's no wonder everyone calls you 'Ice Queen'. You should take it easy sometimes, especially since you'll become a mother soon."

"Maybe its because she's pregnant? She's even colder now than she was before." However suddenly a small pocket knife was thrown in between the two men, making them shiver as it made a small hole in the wall behind them.

"I s-a-i-d stop hindering me. My hands are already full as it is." With all these failed experiments, their patience was getting worse and worse.

Suddenly the doors opened to reveal Kuroko's father and Akashi's father enter the laboratory. They walked up to Kuroko's mother who ignored them and continued on with her work.

"As cold as ever. You know if you weren't married, I would definitely be interested in a one night stand~" The redhead said with a smirk while Kuroko's father who stood behind him sighed. It wasn't long enough before another small pocket knife was thrown in the air, however, this time it was caught by doctor Kuroko.

"Dear, please stop throwing knives around at your co-workers. It's dangerous."

"I apologise. My hand slipped." She groaned before looking back at the papers. The older redhead and Kuroko's father watching her from behind.

"You're really determined. I really wish others were like you." The Akashi elder said with a smirk.

"This project has to succeed. I'm placing my all into it... Even my own child. My child will be a success, I swear it. He will be mama's pride." She said with confidence.

"Hoo~ I sure hope so. Seeing as its your child I have high expectations for it."

"By the way, about the news. Is it true or not?" Elder Kuroko asked.

"Of course not! That whore of a woman just wants my wealth. The child she bore could be anyones. It's filth, don't trouble yourself with it."

"It's a shame." Kuroko's mother said, turning around from her papers. "We could have used it as another subject. You can never have enough of those."

"Trust me. The infant would be a failure. His mother is a street w*** and a rat." The redhead assured as the teal haired woman smirked, placing a hand on her large belly.

"Well, unlike that 'filth', you'll be a success won't you little one? You'll make your mama proud."

Kuroko felt uncomfortable with that word being thrown around. How could they say it so easily? When it's about a single mother no less... Kuroko just couldn't help but feel angry. Even his own parents were cruel... has he ever met anyone who wasn't cruel? Besides the group, it seems that everyone has lied or betrayed him.

Never before did he want to hurt someone so much. He didn't want to hurt his mother since she was pregnant, even if she was just using him. But he unconsciously did. For both his parents and everyone who ever lied to him and hurt him. Now he cod see things from the other Akashi's view all on his own. Humans really were cruel and disgusting.

He was startled when the scene changed once more. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice until he saw the bright red light again. But it wasn't the stone attacking the scientists. It was the dream he had before. He was playing with the monster's and the stone was close by... Unlike before, he could hear more of the scientists conversations clearly.

"Looks like Ignis doesn't just shine when it's angry. Could it mean something else or is it just an unconscious thing?" One asked the other scientist who were observing Kuroko and the monster's inside the room with "Ignis".

"Who knows. We'll need to study it more to really understand." The other replied then sighed. "It really does look like a ruby though. We should've called it that."

"That's a stupid name." The first scientist said immediately with a roll of his eyes. Honestly, Ruby? How dumb could that be... Suddenly Kuroko smiled and called out, "Ruby!" when the stone picked him up once more. He has been talking a little but it was the first time he copied someone else's words without being told to. So he heard them and copied? Kuroko was just giggling and repeating the name "Ruby" as the stone played with him.

Ruby, Ignis... It all clicked to Kuroko. Ruby was Ignis, and Ignis was the second Akashi. The other Akashi, or rather known as Ignis or Ruby (Kuroko decided Ruby was better since he didn't want to call him anything the scientists called him), really has been gentle and kind to him when he was a baby. And here he thought he was cruel and selfish... but he was proved wrong.

"Haha! Jealous? His first words weren't 'mama' but 'Ruby'~" The elder Akashi laughed while Kuroko's mother punched him in the ribs. They were all standing behind glass, watching the child interact with Ignis. Even though the synchronisation didn't succeed, their new aim was to overcome the 1% that was missing. Kuroko's mother was more then eager to do anything to maker her son compatible.

"Congratulations Mrs Kuroko, doctor Kuroko. Your son may very well be what we need." A scientist approached them, alone with a group of others behind him. He extended his hand which doctor Kuroko shook. "Thank you doctor Midorima, however, we're still missing the 1%."

"It's just 1%. We'll overcome it easily." Another scientist with a name tag 'Aomine' said.

"Thank you for the encouraging words doctor Aomine but still..."

"Be confident Kuroko! We will do it, that I swear." A scientist with the name tag 'Kise' cheerfully said.

"Well there's no doubt about it then. Even Ignis seems to have taken a liking to him. When we try to take them apart the creatures and Ignis become aggressive. Trying to protect the child from us."

"No wonder. Even I would want to be protected from you." Kuroko's mother teased.

"Cruel." Making the elder Akashi smirk as Kuroko's father sighed.

The scientists watched as the baby was lifted into the air by the unknown red smoke that surrounded Ignis. The creatures happily jumped up while baby Kuroko laughed.

It was a cruel thing to see. A stone/alien that isn't even from earth treated him better than his own parents. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to think? "They didn't.. care.." Kuroko finally managed to speak. Once he spoke, everything disappeared and he was left alone in a dark pitch black abyss.

It suited him. Being alone in the dark. He shouldn't even be surprised this is where he ended up after all those scenes. Alone, feeling pity for himself. He was just... in shock. He just couldn't believe his own parents would treat him as nothing more than an experiment... And to think he tried saving them when he found them at the creatures nest.

As he sat alone in his dark little world, he was startled when a red light suddenly shined. He turned around with shock and confusion. That was until he saw Akashi's face. He immediately relaxed even if the Akashi in front of him had the golden eye. Was this a scene of the future? Was the other Akashi, Ruby, going to get angry and toss him aside too?

Akashi approached him, kneeling down before him so that they were at the same eye level. "Sulking? That's very unlike you. I imagined you would be determined to save your group by now but it seems I was wrong."

It's just as Kuroko thought. The other Akashi was going to abandon him too. Who knows, maybe the real Akashi will soon as well. "Leave me alone.. I never got to pity myself ever since this all started." He mumbled. No, he didn't want to say that. He wanted to save the group, even if it meant dying in the process. It's not like he had any one to live for anyway.

"Your beginning may have been something to pity but the rest of your story is very different. There's much more you don't remember so stand up. Chase the truth that's hidden before you."

More to remember? What more could be after this? His life that had actually been a lie? But... He was curious. He wanted to know. He needed to.

Kuroko slowly got up, looking towards the other Akashi. "...Is there really more?"

"Yes, although you'll have to reach out for it yourself. I've already shown you more than enough." Akashi stood up, "My original body won't be pleased that I've shown you this but after sensing the state of your mind, I thought it would be better for you to know."

Kuroko slowly nodded, wondering if he was grateful or not that this Akashi showed him. "...Thank you. I don't know if it was the best thing you could've done, but thank you for just.. thinking about me at least."

The other raised a brow, "It wasn't the best thing to show you?" He leaned his hand against his chin, "Strange, I thought you wanted answers but perhaps I was wrong? I have yet to fully understand the human mind." He was puzzled but decided to think about it later. "Now this is quite troublesome. You're under a heavy dosage of a drug and can't wake up. While your mind is here, your body is left defenceless outside, but don't worry. They didn't touch you yet." Akashi said as Kuroko noticed that the other's remaining red eye suddenly turned completely golden.

Drug.. that's right! The group and himself have been captured and he was supposed to be experimented on. But what did the other mean that they didn't touch him yet? Did that mean something is preventing them from doing the experiment? "What happened? Or what is happening?"

"I've finally been freed from my restraints." Akashi smiled, "Now that I'm let out of my cage, I'm free to bestow punishment on those disgusting humans! Isn't that great Tetsuya? You'll finally receive redemption for what they've done to you. I'll make sure to make everything right again."

Kuroko didn't know how to respond. He could finally get revenge on those scientists or anyone who's been so cruel to one another... but if didn't feel right. It had to have been human nature, it was the only thing he could think of. "..That is true but.. please.. all I ask of you is to save the innocent. Don't get rid of everyone, especially not the group. They are innocent even if their parents are not. But those scientists... they're hurting the group. I don't care about them at all."

"I see. I'll make sure to punish them then." Akashi or Ruby, raised his hand up to Kuroko's cheek. "Even though you've betrayed me, I can't come to hate you. I'll punish everyone who did you harm."

"I'm sorry I betrayed you." Kuroko said truthfully as he placed a hand over the others. "It's just.. I care about you but I care about Akashi-kun too. I had to tell him he's loved and wanted, that not everyone is like that evil scientist." He said. "Please, don't just get revenge for me. Get revenge for Akashi-kun too. He's suffered more than me."

The other smiled, "Don't worry Tetsuya. I'm already taking care of everything as we speak. When you wake up everything will be over."

"You said I couldn't wake up because I had a heavy dosage... when will I wake up?" Kuroko asked worriedly. He didn't want to wake up to the group hurt or even killed.

"Don't worry. Just rest." Akashi moved his hand to cover Kuroko's eyes and as he did, Kuroko's world turned into darkness once again. The darkness was comfortable and inviting, shielding him and holding him like a cushion in its arms. However, slowly but steadily, quiet voiced began to penetrate that darkness.

"Tet... wak-..."

"It's no... more..."

"Kurokocchi! Wa-..."

The voiced were getting louder and louder until finally Kuroko could understand them.

"Oi Tetsu! Wake up!" Aomine's loud voice shot through him, waking him up completely. His eyes shooting open to see Aomine's face.

"He's awake!" Aomine felt relieved and so did the others, but something wasn't right... why was there red pain on the walls? Why were there pieces of glass broken? Fearing the worst, Kuroko sat up and noticed that the entire laboratory was in ruins. The scientists were nowhere in sight as well as Akashi who was gone.

As he looked around, he groaned when a giant headache suddenly hit him. It made him feel dizzy and he just wanted to go back to sleep. But then it settled in that Akashi was gone.

He tried getting off the table but he felt kind of weak and still dizzy, so he fell nearly immediately. Luckily Aomine caught him. He held his head in his hands, trying to get rid of the dizziness. "Kurokocchi! Are you okay?" Kise asked worriedly. Kuroko couldn't answer for a moment.

"I'm.. fine.. Akashi-kun.. where's Akashi-kun..?"

"He was gone when we woke up." Midorima informed, "We woke up not long ago and saw the exact same thing you're seeing right now."

Kuroko tried to think about where Akashi could be. The other Akashi, or Ruby as he should call him, said he was going to get revenge for them... "The scientists.. where are they? Are they here too?"

"We don't know." Aomine lowered his head. "We didn't explore the base yet so they very well might be somewhere around here. We had to make sure you were okay before doing anything else." They couldn't just leave Kuroko here while they search. It's dangerous!

They cared.. they actually cared... and to think Kuroko nearly gave up on them from self pity. He nodded slowly, still feeling dizzy but luckily it was going away fast. "We have to find Akashi-kun.. we have to."

"Then let's search for him." Midorima suggested and everyone nodded, not wasting time to go explore the laboratory. They searched and noticed many strange things and equipment. Scissors, telescopes and many more things they didn't even know what it was used for. However, while searching they spotted a huge door.

The door was no match for their advanced weapons, knocking it down easily. Once the door was pushed down the group saw something shocking. Dead bodies were placed in test tubes... but not just any bodies... Dead babies.

Despite having that "dream", Kuroko was still the one who was in the most shock. So it was true. It was all true. The babies experimented on that had been carelessly tossed away. The scientists who didn't give a damn about anyone if they weren't useful. His dream was true. Then that meant his parents... they took part in this, even using their own son.

Oh if he found those scientists alive, he swore they were going to wish they were dead like the babies they sacrificed. Kuroko wouldn't give them a clean quick death either. They didn't deserve it. They deserve to see the pain they put others through. See how it felt to be strapped onto a table as others injected them with needles and stabbed at their insides with a scalpel.

While every one was staring at the babies and tubes, Kise was the one to finally notice Kuroko's state. He was just staring wide eyed at the babies like everyone else, but he was muttering things. Kise was sure he was saying things like "Disgusting" or "kill".

"Kurokocchi..?" Kise worriedly looked at the boy as the others finally looked at him as well. Was it perhaps an after effect of the drug?

"What's wrong Tetsu?" Aomine asked worriedly. Midorima was about to ask if he was in pain but didn't because he knew it was caused by the shock of seeing the babies. Murasakibara on the other hand ignored him and resumed searching through the room they were in.

"Nothing.. I just hope those scientists are dead." Kuroko muttered. "They hurt innocent babies for their own experiments.. I hate them. I hate them."

"Yeah... I agree." Aomine mumbled as they all looked at the dead bodies. Some were rotting, some had pealing skin and some had even parts of their skeletons showing. It was truly horrifying... but yet the most horrendous thing was their faces. Their faces were numb, as if frozen in time, expressing all the pain they went through.

"We should keep looking." Kuroko said. He was already super angry from seeing the babies. He just wanted to find Akashi, to be told everything was alright. Once all the scientists suffered and he is with Akashi, he'll be fine.

"Kuro-chin~ I think you should see this." Murasakibara called the other over. When Kuroko came he was surprised by what he read on one of the name plates. "Subject 11", Murasakibara read on the bigger plate but then there was a smaller one under it which said "Kuroko Tetsuya". Above the name plates was a tube which was broken. Back in the day it must have been filled with water and connected to all sorts of wires but now, age was really showing on it as it had lots of rust on it.

Kuroko stared at the name plate with shock. He had a number.. Subject 11... And now the others were going to know he was once apart of the experiments. What would they think? They didn't accept Akashi who had been an experiment. Was he going to be abandoned? "..It.. It can't be me.."

"But it says Kuroko Tetsuya. Two people can't have the exact same name." Aomine pointed out while Midorima and Kise nodded. Kuroko could hear the voices of the creatures and they did learn before that he was involved. This must be where baby Kuroko was kept when he was born... It send out a wave of pity to the group.

"Come look over here~" Murasakibara called everyone over. They wondered what it could be this time but they were just as shocked as when they found Kuroko's name plate. Everyone stared with wide eyes as they read the name plates that were assigned to the test tubes next to Kuroko's in a row.

"Subject 5 - Aomine Daiki."

"Subject 6 - Midorima Shintarou."

"Subject 7 - Kise Ryouta."

"You guys.. too?" Kuroko didn't remember learning about this. They might have been experimented on too? It would explain where the special weapons came from but... Kuroko had no idea. But it only made him more furious. Now those scientists really did deserve death. They hurt his friends before!

"Hold on a second! I don't remember any of this shit! This must be some kind of a sick joke right? Right?" Aomine asked, not believing what he just saw and read. His parents were normal people, living normal lives! Maybe he was kidnapped as a baby? Could that be the case? "I can't even her those monsters talk! It doesn't make sense."

Aomine made a point there. Nobody could hear the monsters except Kuroko and Akashi so how? "Hmm~ Maybe because Kuro-chin is special~? He had 99% compatibility unlike you who didn't have any~"

"Murasakibara-kun.. please don't bring that up.." Kuroko didn't want to be reminded. He didn't want to get any angrier than he was.

"So everyone's name is on a name plate except Murasakibaricchi?" Kise questioned. Why was everyone's name there except Murasakibara? He must've been the lucky one that didn't get experimented on at all.

"Hmmm~" The others eagerly but patiently awaited his reply. "Just lucky I guess~" And they all deadpanned. Was that really the case though?

"Then I guess it's just unfortunate that we were chosen." Kuroko grumbled. He didn't care that he got experimented on. But the others? Just how cruel were their parents? "But is that really it? Didn't you say you were all childhood friends? How did you all even meet?" It wouldn't be far fetched to say they met at the labs but forgot about it as they grew up, but when did Murasakibara come into play if he didn't grow up in the lab?

"We knew each other ever since we could remember! We..." We? When did they meet? They all halted, coming to a stand still. It was such a simple question yet why was it so hard to answer? They knew that their parents were friends and that they met like that but when was the first time they met? Since they were little infants? Ever since they could remember, they were like a family.

"But I can remember meeting Murasakibara. We met one day on the streetball basketball court when Akashi brought you over." Midorima remembered. Even though he didn't remember how he met the others, he could remember meeting the purple head.

"Yeah! That time we were really surprised because Akashi had brought someone new!"

"Akashi-kun brought him huh?" What could this mean? Was this before Akashi was forced to be a test subject? After? He wanted to know. He needed to. "Murasakibara-kun.. May you please tell us what happened, if you remember? How did you meet Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked.

"Hmmm..." Murasakibara thought before looking up at the others. "Before I tell you, I want to show you something~." He went towards another door which had a password system of opening it. The purple head walked over to the device, input the numbers before the doors suddenly opened.

Everyone watched in awe as the massive doors opened to reveal another, much larger laboratory. "Murasakibara, how did you-" Midorima tired to ask but was shut by the other.

"Look~" He pointed to the massive test tube that was in the center of the laboratory, with many wires and needles raised to point inside the test tube. Some wires even seemed to have been attacked onto a human's skin... at least that's what they seemed to look like.

They all looked down at the name plate and read...

"Subject 4 - Akashi Seijuro."

Kuroko had already pieced this together... but Murasakibara knew all along? He looked over at the giant with a little confusion but also suspicion. "Murasakibara-kun, how did you know about Akashi-kun? And the password to the door?"

Everyone became suspicious but Murasakibara remained quiet. "Aka-chin saved me. Without him I wouldn't be here and that's why I have to protect him."

"How did he save you?" Kuroko continued to ask. "Please Murasakibara-kun. We've been through so much, all of us. We shouldn't keep anymore secrets. Don't you trust us?"

"I..." Murasakibara began but just as he did, the earth shook. "What was that!?" Bam... Bam... The shaking began to intensify, turning into an earthquake.

"W-What's going on?" Kise cried but it's not like anyone could answer. They just all quickly got on the ground, some of them managing to find space under tables and such. What could be causing this earthquake? Was it even a real earthquake?

Then suddenly an answer came, "Whooooaaaaaaaaa!" A loud, ear piercing roar resonated throughout the entire mountain and even the city. Everyone was left speechless, some even began shaking as they realised the size of the thing that let out that roar is no joke. They didn't see the creature yet but the roar said it all.

"We have to get out of here!

"But the lab! We could find some more clues in here!" If they investigated some more then perhaps they could find some valuable information.

"Forget about it. We have to escape!"

"B-But!"

"Information or your life! Choose now!" Midorima raised his voice on the tanned teen who clenched his fists before nodding. The group ran as fast as they could out of the base. Surprisingly all of the doors leading out were blasted open so it was easy getting out. Once they all ran outside, their eyes widened when they saw the creature.

It was as big as the mountain... no... possibly even bigger as it let out another roar. Everyone covered their ears and when the roar ended, they ran back. "We have to get away from here! It's not safe!"

"Where can we even go? It's not safe anywhere!" Kise said as they all stood just inside of the entrance to the lab. With a monster that big, they would never be able to escape it. Where did it even come from?

The mountain shook, making some huge rocks fall before them. "It doesn't matter! We have to get out of here or we'll be squashed to death!" Aomine stressed.

The question is where should they run? But it was true that the mountain was not safe. It was either run or get squashed. Kuroko decided to just go for it because no one was going to run if no one took the first step. They should head back to the forest, away from the town and monster. They just needed to get distance between them and the monsters.

When Kuroko ran out, everyone else followed. Everyone ran for their lives as the mountain shook. 'WHOOOOOOOAAAAAA!" The creature roared, sending another wave of ear piercing screams. The creature itself was surprisingly human like. It had two arms and two legs but it was deformed and had a gooey, sticky like substance covering its entire body.

It was hard to run while the ground was shaking. They actually fell a few times but then got back up to keep running.

The monster tilted his head to the right and then to the left, looking around from the top of the mountain. However, suddenly it spotted the group and gave a loud groan as it began moving into their direction.

When Kuroko felt the shaking get worse, he looked back. He was shocked to see the large monster making its way towards them. Why was it going after them? How did it even notice them specifically?

"Shit! That thing is coming towards us!" Aomine raised his voice as much as he could, grabbing his weapons from his backpack and putting them on. "Everyone grab your weapons!"

"Your weapons may be special but what can they do against that?!" Kuroko rasied his voice to be heard. That thing was probably bigger than the mountain! Their weapons would be no match!

"But what should we do!?" They stood no chance against that thing! They knew they wouldn't be able to do much damage but at least with the weapons they stood a chance, even if that chance was almost non existent.

The monster didn't have to take a step towards them but it extended it's giant hand to grab the group. Everyone noticed the hand getting closer, sure to grab them. They all knew it was the end once the hand was less than 5 meters away from then when suddenly something unexpected happened. The pack of the wolf like creatures appeared, jumping up and biting the huge hand.

The giant groaned, feeling slight pain as it pulled the hand away, hurting some of the smaller creatures in the process, making them yelp in pain.

These must've been the monsters Akashi ordered to hide and wait from before! When Kuroko saw them get hurt, he wanted to run out and help them. But what could he do to help? Now should they run and let the monsters distract it, or try to help? He wanted the group safe, but after knowing the truth, he wanted to help the children too..

"What are you doing Kuroko!? We have to hurry!" Midorima and the others stopped after noticing that Kuroko did. They had to use this distraction to escape!

"But.. they're getting hurt.." They had feelings too. They felt pain too. They couldn't just let them get hurt or possibly die... Why were they even doing this? "I-If Akashi-kun is telling them to do this, he might he near by. We can't just leave!" Kuroko said as an excuse.

The group hesitated but the fear was still there, "What can we do? We're just ants compared to that thing!" Aomine asked but Midorima put his arm before him, "Tell us then. What can we do Kuroko?"

"I.. I don't know.. Maybe go around while the monster is distracted and try to find Akashi-kun." Or Ruby. Whoever was in control.

Midorima nodded, "We can climb up that small hill to get a better view." He suggested but as he did, the huge creature got annoyed and aimed his other hand at the group.

Almost all of them noticed the hand coming and got the others who didn't see to run out of reach. The hand just barely missed them. They were lucky the monster was kind of slow.

"If we're going to that hill, we better go now." Kuroko said. They couldn't stay in one spot for too long. It's too dangerous.

They all stood up and ran but the monster was more than annoyed, he was furious. Slowly he raised both of his hands up, reaching out to the group, but because he was slow, the group saw it coming. Although they did see it, they couldn't move away in time. The hand was so large that it would splash them no matter where they ran.

The wolf like creatures ran, more specifically those who weren't injured enough to do so. However, even then, they wouldn't be able to reach Kuroko and his group in time. Then suddenly there came a whistle which stopped all of the monster's movements.

Since everything suddenly stopped, the whistle was heard loud and clear. What could've just simply whistled and stopped the monster from moving. Only one person came to mind.

Everyone turned about but of course Kuroko was the first. It was Akashi. Or maybe Ruby? Either way, they saved them.

But then Kuroko noticed something out of place. He was standing far but he swore he saw what he saw, and that was black horns on Akashi's head. The redhead stood there, on top of the hill they were about to climb to when the massive creature stopped. Then Kuroko noticed another thing... both of Akashi's eyes were completely golden as well.

Two golden eyes... "When both my eyes become golden.. I'll be in complete control." Kuroko repeated to himself, remembering what the other Akashi had said. No, Akashi couldn't be gone.. He couldn't be.

"Akashi-kun!" Kuroko called out to the other on the hill. Was Akashi-kun really gone? Would it be forever if he was? Would he never see him again?

Akashi turned but smirked when he noticed the bluenette along with the group. Suddenly the group noticed more wolf like creatures appearing behind Akashi like a pack. The ones who tried to protect Kuroko and the group whined before they stood up and then ran past the group to Akashi and the rest of the pack, brushing against the redhead when they reached him.

Akashi pat the creatures beside him and then looked up at the large monster who looked back. The group was frightened when the creature let out a sound again but unlike the last ear piercing roars, it was gentle... just like the sound of a whale.

BAM! BAM! The creature started turning and moving away but as it slowly did, it couldn't help but to shake the group underneath it. "Are we safe now?" Midorima asked, in shock, as the group watched the creature leave.

That question was in everyone's minds, along with the question "where did it even come from?". But Kuroko wasn't too focused on that. Since the threat was gone, all that remained was trying to find out of Akashi was really gone or not.

He started running up the hill towards Akashi. He had to know if it was really true. "A-Akashi-kun," He panted out as he got to the top of the hill. He was exhausted from running for his life earlier. It didn't help that he had a heavy dosage of some drug earlier. "Akashi-kun.." Now that he was closer, he could confirm that those really were horns on the other's head. It was cool, but mostly scary.

Kuroko had to keep distance because unlike before, there were many more creatures surrounding the redhead on all sides. Akashi's smirk widened as he looked at Kuroko, noticing the group behind him that followed. "Good morning Tetsuya. Did you sleep well?"

"...Where's Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked worriedly. "Where is he? You said when you had two golden eyes, you were.." He was too afraid to say.

"Gone. Now there's only me." The redhead revealed, confirming Kuroko's fears. "But he's in a much safer place now. He won't feel anymore pain or the rejection he felt long ago. Instead its you who should be pitied. Being left in a world like this."

"But.. but now he won't feel anything either!" Kuroko said, taking a few steps closer despite the monsters surrounding Akashi being there. "Please.. Ruby, please." He decided to test out the name. It felt natural even though it's his first time calling the other that. "I know it's selfish of me, but please bring him back.."

Akashi noted the name but it didn't bother him that much. It was a human trait to give names to things so he supposed it couldn't be helped. He took a step forward as the creatures around him moved, creating a path for him. The redhead walked over to Kuroko with a smirk, as both the group and the creatures tensed.

The two were inches apart, Akashi looking down at Kuroko amusingly. He grabbed Kuroko's chin and lifted it up, forcefully kissing the other.

Kuroko's eyes widened and he stiffened with shock. This was the first time the other Akashi kissed him... Did this mean Akashi really was gone, that he was proving Akashi really wouldn't come back if he tried a kiss again? He wanted to hit or push the other away, but he still had Akashi's face, and he just couldn't hurt Akashi.

The redhead slowly moved away when the kiss was broken. He kept his eyes closed which kept Kuroko on edge. Did the kiss work? or did it not work? Kuroko hopefully watched as the other slowly opened his eyes, both golden. He smirked and Kuroko knew why... he was teasing him. "As sweet as always."

There was no way Kuroko could respond. Another person he loved is gone... His parents, Ogiwara, and now Akashi. Was there any way to get him back? If he got rid of the other Akashi, would the real one return? He felt something wet run down his cheeks and he touched them, startled as he figured out he was crying.

He had been lying to himself. It was true that he wanted Akashi to know he was loved and wanted. He kept saying he didn't care about himself but... he had been so sure Akashi wouldn't leave. Now that he was gone, he now knew that he really did want to be loved and wanted to. But the only one who did that for him was Akashi who's now gone. "Why.. why? Why can't you let him come back? Why can't he stay? Why do you have to take him away?" Why does everyone he ever loved leave? Why does he have to be lonely? Why was the only question he could ask.

The other's smirk dropped as he watched Kuroko with mixed emotions. He extended his arms and embraced the other, pushing him close into his chest. "I didn't take him away Tetsuya. I only saved him from his pain and misery. You may not know but this child hates his very existence. He did from the very beginning. You may not know, but your friends behind you may vaguely remember and know that it's true."

Kuroko didn't know if it was really alright to embrace such a person, but he didn't care. He wanted to be comforted, to be held tightly like so. He held onto the other tightly, inhaling his scent which luckily still reminded him of Akashi. "But.. I wanted to show that his existence matters.. that his past really is just the past and that he still had the future to look forward too.." It always hurts, having your loved one stolen away. He couldn't tell, but maybe he felt even more hurt now rather than when Ogiwara died or when he found out his parents didn't love him.

Akashi or better say Ruby, placed his hand on Kuroko's head and began stroking it gently. "You cannot fix that which cannot be fixed. If I remember correctly, you wanted to save the group behind you so much that you would even risk your own life. Now that you have them back, you want Akashi back. Aren't you being a bit too selfish Tetsuya?"

"I can't help it! Being selfish is human nature." Kuroko said, looking up at the other. "And Akashi-kun is apart of the group! So when I said I wanted to save the group, I meant everyone, including him. Please, I know it's selfish, but.. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Ruby looked down at the bluenette in pity, stroking his head gently. "The world is cruel. It doesn't take prisoners." He said before slowly moving away, "I thought I already taught you that but it seems I was wrong. I apologise for being a bad parent all these years. I should have done better." He stepped back, creating distance between himself and Kuroko, it wasn't long before the creatures surrounded him again.

"I assure you that he's in a much better place now. Its up to you whether you believe me or not." One of the creatures kneeled down as Ruby got up on it.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kuroko asked when he saw the other get on the creature. He wanted him to come back and hold him again. He wanted him to bring Akashi back. "Ruby, please… I'm begging you. I know I'm human but please, I'm really begging you!"

Ruby sighed before reaching out into his pocket. When he took out the item, everyone was shocked to see the device they've been looking for. It was another shining stone! Just like the ones they already have. However, soon their hopes got crushed when Ruby broke the stone completely, shattering it into millions of pieces before their eyes.

Everyone watched as a piece of something they've been thriving to complete was destroyed. The whole reason they were on this journey was to find all those devices to get rid of the monsters. And now that mission was pointless if one of the devices were destroyed.

"R-Ruby.." Kuroko hadn't been sure about killing Ruby but for some reason it hurt him to see the one thing they've been searching for destroyed. It was like everything they went through had been pointless.

The small pieces of the stone fell onto the ground as Ruby looked up at the group, "Your goal was meaningless from the very beginning. I let you hold onto that hope because that way you would have completed your mission much more efficiently. Thank you for taking care of my host until I finally took over. You did well." Ruby said as the creature stood up and soon the pack began to leave. "Watch as I create a new world. Farewell Tetsuya."

"W-Wait. Don't leave, please." Kuroko insisted. There has to be a way to get Akashi back. There has to be. "Take.. Take me with you. Or please, stay with us. I don't want to separate.."

The redhead didn't say anything but did raise his hand to wave as Kuroko watched his back. The creatures began to run until finally they all disappeared into the woods. Gone...

They all looked to the other side and saw that the humongous creature was still walking away, slow due to its massive body but they didn't care. "H-He's gone..." Aomine mumbled as they all lowered their heads.

Another person to leave their lives. Akashi is gone forever and now Ruby left as well. Who was going to leave next?

Kuroko clenched his hands tightly. The only people he had left was the group, but who's to say they won't abandon him either? His own parents abandoned him, so why wouldn't the group? They might leave in a month, a week, may be even tomorrow now that they didn't have a mission any longer.

"What.. do we do now?" Kise finally asked the question on everyone's mind.

What do they do? Now that Akashi left and the device was destroyed... What could they do? Nobody answered for a good five minutes until finally Midorima spoke up, "We should head back to the house. We can't stay out here in this cold." If they stay then they might die due to the cold.

"I'm not going." Kuroko suddenly muttered. As if to prove his point, he kneeled down beside the broken shards from the device Ruby broke and stayed there on the ground. Who cares of it was cold and there was a chance of him freezing to death? Or maybe dying of starvation or dehydration because he was both thirsty and hungry. "Just leave. Without me." Because eventually they would anyway, just like Ogiwara or his parents or even Akashi and Ruby.

"What are you saying Tetsu? Are you seriously saying that?" Aomine asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Just go." Kuroko said coldly. He didn't want to look at any of them. They'd surely leave with almost no trouble at all.

"'Yeah right we're going~ bye~' As if idiot!" Aomine walked up to Kuroko and grabbed his shoulder, "Get up Tetsu! We're leaving." Aomine raised his voice slightly, making others uneasy, "Calm down Aomine." Midorima tried to reason but they couldn't help it... everyone felt the same way.

"Don't touch me!" Kuroko could raise his voice too. He looked up at the other, wondering why they just would not leave. "And why not? Eventually you all will!"

"Kurokocchi.. we really can't stay out here.. Why can't we talk about this inside?" Kise suggested but Kuroko didn't seem to be buying it.

"Can you hear yourself!? Stop throwing a tantrum and just get up! We won't leave you out here all alone!" Aomine stressed.

"I'll throw a tantrum if I feel like it!" He never got to before, maybe when he was a kid, but he never remembered showing his anger or sadness. "And you all will just leave when you feel like it. There's no reason for us to stay together anymore. Just go away."

Aomine clenched his jaw, "You know Akashi, no, that Ruby guy or whatever you call that thing was right. You really are selfish. Why don't you just stop acting like a little kid and just grow up!"

"I never got to act like a kid! I mean sure, I lived with my parents who never actually loved me, but I never got to act like a kid, to throw tantrums and party or whatever kids do these days! I don't care if I'm selfish any more. Is it wrong for me to wish for a peaceful life? To protect myself from getting hurt?" Kuroko asked.

"But what makes you think that you're the only one!? I was home alone day after day and nobody cared! The only time I got out was to see Akashi and everyone else! They were... are my only family! You said it yourself! You also had a dear friend didn't you? Shigero right?" Aomine grabbed Kuroko's shirt, raising him up slightly. "Don't take his friendship for granted. He loved you, just like we do! So don't you dare forget that!"

He paused, looking into Kuroko's eyes, "Who cares about your parents? You have people that love you right before your eyes!"

Maybe it shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did, but Kuroko was shocked into silence by that claim. He knew the group loved Akashi, but they loved him too? But even those who loved him left...

But Aomine was speaking with such intensity, he couldn't help but believe it was true. He might end up being naive or stupid, but he wanted to believe that the group really did love him and wouldn't leave him.

"Do.. do you really..?" He asked quietly.

"Of course idiot! I love you so deal with it! You can't get rid of me that easily now. Although I wouldn't say I would do intimate things with you or marry you but I still love you." Aomine let the other go as he stumbled down into the snow.

"You're only thinking about yourself. Think about others for a change. We've known Akashi way longer than you did, he's our family! An irreplaceable member! Don't think we don't feel anything after seeing what we did just now." He paused, looking down at Kuroko, "You have to grow up."

Has he really been thinking about only himself all along? Acting like a child? And here Kuroko thought he had been helping the others all this time...

Kuroko hesitantly nodded, slowly clenching his hands. Aomine was right. He is an idiot and childish. He didn't understand how anyone could love someone like him. "I'll try.. I'll try."

"What? Did you say something? I didn't hear."

"I said I'll try. I'll try to stop being selfish and childish. If it prevents people from leaving me.. I'll do it." Kuroko promised.

Aomine sighed, "Geez~ Did you even listen to me? I don't know about the others but I won't leave you just because of that. Did you understand me at all?"

"..I don't know.. I'm an idiot so please don't expect me to understand." Kuroko slowly stood up, finally realizing just how cold he was. He hugged himself before moving closer to Aomine for warmth. "Can we just go to the house please?"

Aomine looked down at the other in thought, "Just tell me one thing. What did you think I was hinting at?"

"Me being childish? You told me to grow up multiple times.." Kuroko frowned, looking up at Aomine.

Aomine took a long heavy sigh before lightly hitting Kuroko on the head, "Idiot."

The others smiled as they approached the two, "We better get going."

Kuroko didn't know what Aomine wanted from him. Was that not what he meant? But he was too tired and cold to care. He just nodded to the others and soon they began to make their way home. They'd have to search for supplies soon since all they had was their own bags which had very little food and water.

As the group made their way down the mountain, they were unaware that a person was watching them from the top. The person was gripping their arm which had blood dropping down from it. The person watched, until he began making his way down as well.

It took the group two days to get down the mountain. They had to tent out again before they made their way down again. Finally when they arrived at the house and opened the doors, it was unusually quiet.

Even though they were now inside, it was still pretty cold since no one had been using it. Oh how they wished they had the fire place from the ski lodge. They were all hungry and thirsty of course, but they were mostly cold and tired.

"Is there any food left..?" Kuroko tiredly asked. He just wanted to lay down in a warm bed after having a warm meal. But that was just a fantasy during an apocalypse.

"We left some cans for when we would come back from the mountain." Midorima went to the kitchen, hoping they weren't stolen by other scavengers. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw them in the exact place they left them at. "Let's eat everyone."

Nearly everyone sighed in relief when they saw the cans. They would eat tonight. Kuroko was sure he could stay up long enough for dinner.

"Where will we all sleep?" Kise asked. Would they all get their own rooms (or couch) again or will they all sleep in the living room?

"We do have one extra room now." Aomine muttered as they all ate. They couldn't help but notice the one extra can that was on the table…

"Can we.. not bring that up? At least not tonight.." Kuroko asked quietly. He didn't talk much after what happened two days before because he was too nervous to say something and mess up. But right now, he really didn't want to be reminded of having those two people he cared about leave him and the group.

Nobody spoke but nodded. They were all still shaken up. Ever since Akashi left, they've all been down and the atmosphere has been tense. They ate in silence as the extra can stood on the table, untouched.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** *In Progress*

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Going to Japan on Tuesday... Super nervous... *too nervous to write a note* *shits pants whenever she thinks of travel* I'll be gone for a week so I'll probably have to write a note in advance for the next chapter :) Enjoy :) Wish me luck! XD

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	21. File 21

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Kuroko pushed himself to finish all of the soup. He had been hungry before but after being reminded of Akashi and Ruby, he suddenly didn't feel hungry. But he needed the food to survive. "I'm done.. I'm just going to go lay down.."

"Night Tetsu." Aomine waved after him as they were all slowly finishing up their cans.

Kuroko nodded and just went to the couch. He didn't want to be alone at the moment so he'd just stay in the living room. Maybe he'd been offer to sleep on the couch in hopes of sharing a room with someone.

Everyone came out of the kitchen but as Kise and Aomine were about to lay down, the blonde noticed that his couch was occupied by the bluenette.

Kuroko notice the other looking at him and sat up. "I'm sorry.. do you want me to move?" He didn't want to be alone but if Kise wanted his usual spot back, he'd give it.

"Um.. it's alright if you don't want to.." But it was pretty obvious Kise was bothered by it.

"If you want I'll give you my spot." Aomine offered, surprised that the two would fight over the couches rather than the comfortable beds upstairs.

"You don't need to do that Aomine-kun. I'll just get up." Kuroko assured and stood up. "I didn't sleep there before so it's okay."

But just as Kuroko got up, suddenly a loud thud could be heard by the doors. They were all startled, looking into the direction of the door. Aomine quickly got up on his feet and went over to the doors warily. He looked out of the peep hole but was left speechless by who he saw.

"Who is it?" Kuroko asked. By Aomine's reaction, he could only assume it was something bad. What if it was Ruby with his pack? Or what if it was Seirin or some other group?

"Look through the peep hole but don't open the door." Aomine warned, making Kuroko even more confused. It was definitely something bad…

Kuroko got up and walked over. Kise followed too, curious of what was going on. He quietly walked up to the door and looked out the peephole. He was shocked to see... one of the scientists. Was it Eiji or Kozo? Either way, they looked even more angry or crazed than before, and they were covered in blood which made them look even more terrifying.

"What do we do?" Aomine asked, not knowing what to do. They all stood in shock when suddenly the old man spoke from behind the door, "I know you're there Subject 11. I have a proposal you cannot refuse. I mean no harm so let me in." The man spoke, however, the pain and exhaustion could be felt in his old voice.

Now the question is should they keep the man out there in the cold or let him in? This man may be old, but he was a mad scientist who killed many just to get where he is... "I have a real name," Kuroko suddenly said, looking at the door. Would the other try to bust in if he didn't let him in? "I won't let you in but I will listen. What is the proposal?"

"I see. A smart one aren't you?" The old man chuckled but then coughed a heavy cough due to the laugh. When he stopped, he spoke again, "I know you're searching for Subject 4 or better say Ignis now. If we combine forces then we will be able to find him easily. Isn't that what you want?"

Kuroko froze a little at the mention of the other. Find him? He did want to find Akashi, to somehow get him to come back despite having Ruby take over. "...And what would you get out of it? You wouldn't do it for free."

"You're right I wouldn't. However, that would be a risk you would take." The man said, raising red flags. "We can't trust him Tetsu. We can find Akashi on our own. We don't need him."

Aomine said but because his normal tone was loud, the man outside heard it loud and clear, making him chuckle. "I know where he is."

"Where is he?" Kuroko asked before he could stop himself. "Why don't you just tell us then go away? We don't want to work with you.."

"That's not how it works Kuroko-kun. You see, I came here to propose a deal where we both get what we want, and that includes sharing information. If I told you then I wouldn't get what I want in return. An equivalent exchange."

"You didn't offer equivalent exchange to all those test subjects, those who are dead or alive, like us." Kuroko hissed. "I don't want to hear about your stupid equivalent exchange. Just tell me where Akashi-kun is."

The elder man, Eiji, couldn't help but chuckle again, "You were all but children then. In your case, your parents gave the permission for you. They brought you into this world so it was their decision. That couldn't be helped, but now that you're an adult, you can negotiate on your own. Will you take this opportunity? or will you wonder aimlessly until you finally die. The choice is yours."

Kuroko glared at the door, feeling angry at the man on the other side. "...The thing that you want but won't tell me what it is, does it include the group? I won't do anything if it includes the group and harms them."

Eiji didn't answer right away as it became silent. After a while, he spoke, "No, it doesn't include the other subjects."

Kuroko narrowed his eyes but then sighed. "...If it really doesn't include the others, then fine." He wanted, needed, to find Ruby to get Akashi back. "Do you really know where he is?"

"I do." Eiji assured but Aomine and Kise weren't so sure. "How do you know where he is? Is your buddy watching him or do you have some kind of a device to know where he is?" Eiji didn't reply from the other side of the door as te sun was slowly setting down.

"When we captured Subject 4 and Subject 11, we had intended to start the experimentation right away, however, we didn't have the time to do anything but insert a tracking device into Subject 4. We had aimed to place one into Subject 11 as well but then…"

But then? What happened? "What? What happened?" Kuroko asked. He hated how this person used words like "capture" and called them by their experiment names, but he didn't want to lose the chance to find Akashi, so he stayed quiet about it.

"Wouldn't you like to know? I'll tell you but only if you agree to cooperate with me."

Kuroko frowned and glanced back at the others. If it really didn't include the group, he'd do it. However if he found out that he was lied to once again... "Fine.. If you promise it won't harm the group or Akashi-kun, fine, I'll do it. I'll work with you." He muttered.

"I don't think it's a good idea Tetsu." Aomine knew that with old man, they would have a higher chance of finding Akashi but then again, he cannot be trusted. "'I promise' doesn't mean anything. Even if he says that, I've met many people in my life who've broken their promises."

"The choice is up to you." Eiji taunted, making Aomine and Kise clench their fists. While the three of them stood at the door, Midorima and Murasakibara were going down the stairs after hearing the commotion downstairs, "What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's just a chance to find Akashi-kun." Kuroko said.

"That's not everything!" Kise sighed and looked at the others. "That scientist is here and he says he knows where Akashicchi is.."

"And I'm going to take that chance whether it's a trap or not. You guys don't have to get involved. Just stay here and I'll go." Kuroko insisted.

"I won't let you leave Tetsu. Over my dead body! We're in this together!" Aomine insisted as Midorima and Murasakibara walked up to them in startle and confusion.

"That man is here?" Midorima went up to the peep hole and was shocked to see that it was really him.

"I'll crush him." Murasakibara hissed.

"Didn't you tell me not to be an idiot? Don't become the idiots here." Kuroko told Aomine with a small frown. "If we all go and it's a trap, we could all get hurt or killed. If it's just me, it doesn't matter. You guys can survive without me you know."

"You really didn't listen to anything I said, did you? Do I really have to lay it down for you?" Aomine stressed. "We love you! We're a family and a family sticks together. Do you really think Shigero would have wanted for you to run away on your own when you can get easily killed? No! And so do we! You're not going! Not alone at least."

Why did Aomine always have to bring up him? Did he know that it always made him feel pain in his chest, that it always made him end up giving in to whatever the other had to say? "...Whatever. Fine. But now it's not up to me. If you want the group to go, we have to decide as a group then."

Suddenly a hand found its way on Kuroko's shoulder, "Calm down Kuroko. We're worried about Akashi as well. It's only fair we decide together." Midorima and everyone else felt the same as Kuroko, even though they didn't show it, they did.

"I think we should crush him." Murasakibara gave in his input, even though they couldn't do that. Otherwise they would lose this opportunity.

Aomine thought before gathering the group close together so that he could whisper, "Let's let him in but when we get the chance, we're stealing his tracking device. If we have that then we don't need the old man right?"

"We don't know what it looks like though." Kise whispered.

"Then.. just have him show it to us. To prove he has it, you know?" Kuroko suggested. They couldn't let this opportunity slip.

"That would be the best course of action." Midorima and everyone else nodded, although Murasakibara's look was anything but happy.

Kuroko looked over at Murasakibara and sighed. "Once we get the tracking device, I don't care what you do with him. But.. like Akashi-kun said, don't get blood on your hands."

The giant flinched, remembering those words. He lowered his head, feeling guilty for even thinking that. The others noticed but knew everything would be fine, nodding. "Then it's settled. We let him in, snatch the device away and then throw him out and do whatever we want with him." Aomine couldn't wait.

"Alright." Kuroko said and moved close to the door again. "I'll open the door so if he decides to attack or something..." He trailed off and shrugged.

"What's wrong Kuroko?"

"Nothing. Let's just get this over with." Kuroko sighed and slowly opened the door which got everyone on guard. But the scientists did not attack like any of them thought. He really did look pained and cold.

Eiji smiled, "Greetings. I look forward to working with you all." The elder man walked in, walking past the group to sit onto the couch, making himself at home.

Kuroko grimaced a little at the other. He didn't want to work with this guy at all but if he was the only way to find Akashi, he had to.

"You said you could track down Akashicchi? How? With what?" Kise asked as everyone watched the man closely.

"Where are your manners? Ah yes~ You weren't taught anything. Test subjects don't need manners or etiquette. I'll teach you then. First treat my wounds and then I'll tell you." Eiji smiled while everyone was more then on edge.

"You..." Aomine tightened his first but before he could take a step forward, Midorima stopped him. "I'll give him first aid."

Frankly, Kuroko didn't think he deserved it. He ruined their lives by experimenting on them then called them test subjects and said they have no manners and whatnot? Just looking at this man made him furious, but he didn't want to show it. For now he'd wait, they'd all wait, until he shows the device that tracks Akashi.

Midorima went up the stairs to get his emergency kit before going back downstairs and treating the man. The rest of the group couldn't dare take their eyes off of him, watching him at all times. Aomine was leaning on the wall next to the door, Kuroko and Kise sat at the opposite couch and Murasakibara sat on the bottom stair.

"Done." Midorima said as he put his equipment back in the box while Eiji raised his arm up to look at it. "Work of an amateur but it will have to do."

Kuroko narrowed his eyes angrily but kept calm. They could have just let him freeze or bleed to death, but he was lucky they weren't cruel like him. "Now show us how you can track Akashi-kun."

"Impatient aren't we?" Eiji looked up to see everyone's gazes on him. He smirked, reaching out under his thorn white coat to reveal a small device. "I believe this is what you're referring to."

"And how do you use it?" Kuroko asked. They couldn't take it then ask how it's used. If they have to do something special, they would never know because Eiji wouldn't tell them if they took it.

Eiji's smirk widened, pressing the button that was on the device. Everyone was startled when suddenly a large hologram appeared in the middle of the room. The hologram seemed to show a... map and one red point on it. "This is where Ignis is right now."

They all looked at the map and although the dot wasn't that far away, they knew it was farther away than it seemed. They all looked at each other before silently debating on who should grab it.

Nobody spoke because their eyes were enough to know what everyone was thinking about. It was now or never. Because Midorima was the closest one to Eiji, he moved swiftly, reaching out for the device before pushing it out of his hand. The device flew before it landed on the floor, Kuroko picking it up.

Although the group took his device forcefully, Eiji didn't seem panicked at all.

Kuroko watched Eiji warily. Why wasn't he panicking or reacting? Then he suddenly thought of something. Eiji may be a mad scientist, but he's still a smart one. He must've known they'd try something and wasn't afraid to take out the device. "...Is this really the device that tracks him?"

"Of course~ That's the key to Ignis." Eiji confidently said but then everyone was startled when the hologram suddenly disappeared as if turning off. "But it has a catch. Only I can activate it. It responds to my DNA."

Kuroko frowned, feeling angry again. So they really did have to keep Eiji around. He didn't want to. He didn't want to even be close to this man. He looked at the device before looking away and tossing it onto the couch beside Eiji. "Whatever.." He didn't care as long as the group didn't get hurt.

"It was a good attempt, too bad it didn't work out for you." Eiji picked up the device, turning it on to show the dot again, "As you can see, Ignis has left Shizuoka city and is headed west."

"Well, I don't think we can go anywhere now." Everyone was exhausted. They were just on guard at the moment, but it was obvious everyone was tired. "By the way.." Kuroko mumbled. "Where's that other scientist?"

Eiji narrowed his eyes, switching off the hologram before him. "That's not important. As long as we find Ignis, our mutual goal is achieved."

"...You said you'd tell us what you'd get out of this if we agreed to help. So what is it?" Kuroko asked coldly.

"Did I? I don't remember agreeing to such a thing. You must be delusional Kuroko-kun." Eiji leaned on the couch, getting comfortable.

Kuroko nearly jumped the man after being called delusional, but he managed to calm himself. He of all people should not call others delusional... "Tell us now or our deal is off and we won't help."

"Are you in a position to call off the agreement? Who is it again that benefits the most?" If it was anyone who knew how to pull on people's strings, it was Eiji. The man is manipulative and sly, just the qualities a mad scientist needs.

"He's right. We need him." Midorima didn't want to admit but it was true.

It was unfair but they couldn't do anything about it. Kuroko closed his eyes, trying to keep calm. He needed to stay calm to get Akashi back. "Fine." He muttered, looking away from the evil man. "But I swear, if it's hurts the group or Akashi-kun in anyway, I don't care about having your blood on my hands."

"My~ My~ So frightening. You should worry about yourself before you worry about others. Now I know why you were missing the 1%. It's due to your intelligence level."

Kuroko clenched his hands tightly. "I don't care." But he did care. Not because Eiji insulted him, but because if he did have that 1%, Akashi wouldn't have gone through so much pain. "And I don't care about myself. I'm done being selfish. The group comes before me so if you threaten them, I promise I'll give you a fate worse than all the test subjects you killed."

Everyone smiled, "And the same goes for us." Midorima said as a hand suddenly found its way on Kuroko's shoulder, "If you threaten Tetsu, you'll have to deal with us."

"I'll crush you if you touch Kuro-chin~"

"Yeah! It's all of us against you." Kise said confidently.

Kuroko looked at them all before sighing with a tiny smile. The group was quite troublesome since he was trying to keep them safe, but at least they definitely showed they loved him. "As long as we both stay within our agreements, I guess we can stand each other for now."

"Fair well. I'll look forward to working with you then."

Kuroko looked at the others. He supposed their sleeping areas had to change because someone had to be up to watch Eiji, which meant only one of them could sleep down stairs on the couches. He looked towards Aomine, gesturing to the couch which was a silent way of asking if he was sleeping there.

The tanned teen sighed, looking over at everyone who looked back. _Why me?_ He deadpanned before sighing. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Thank you Aomine-kun. You know when to switch with someone." It's good to have strong people down here to watch Eiji. He might not do too good since he wasn't strong, so people like Murasakibara or Aomine would be best.

"We should go rest before we begin our search for Akashi." They didn't know when they would leave but everyone thought the same; as soon as possible.

"I agree." Kuroko said and soon everyone except Aomine were heading upstairs. Kise was going to sleep in one of the rooms since Eiji had to sleep on the other couch. Before Kuroko could close his door, Murasakibara was there holding it open. "Murasakibara-kun?"

The other had his head low, looking down at Kuroko. "Do you have a minute Kuro-chin?"

"Um.. yeah of course." Kuroko said, backing up into the room so Murasakibara could come in. "What do you need to talk about?"

Murasakibara walked over straight to the bed to sit down, "It's about Aka-chin and me. I want to tell you how we met." He lowered his head again, "I didn't get the chance to when we were at the laboratory."

Kuroko closed the door, looking at Murasakibara with a little surprise. He kind of forgot about that. "I.. see." He walked over, hesitant to sit on the bed with him. "You don't have to explain it if.. if maybe it's uncomfortable.." He must've kept it hidden for a reason after all.

"No. Kuro-chin needs to know." Murasakibara looked up at the other, set on telling him. He had hesitated but now he knew what he had to do.

"Okay. You can take your time though." Kuroko decided to sit next to Murasakibara anyway. "So.. how did it all start?"

The giant lowered his head again. "We met on a cold snowy day..."

The past flashed before him as Murasakibara remembered the cold streets of Kyoto he used to call home. He had been homeless from an early age because his parents had disowned him after their divorce. His mother had found a new family as well as his father who found his own. None of them wanted to keep the little Murasakibara who was only 6 years of age.

It couldn't be helped... He was a product of a marriage that didn't work out. He was unwanted.

The little child wondered the streets with light clothing and small rain boots. He was much bigger then children his size which did help him at times, but he did get harassed for it many times. Beaten up while begging for money, hiding in a cardboard box as a shelter and begging for food and water.

Luckily he had found an older lady in a bakery who would give him bread that nobody bought. The lady was kind and generous and sometimes Murasakibara even saw her as his mother. The mother he never had. She even taught him how to cook a few meals which made him develop his love for cooking. His appetite and love for sweets also developed at the same time when he would eat all of the sweets the generous old lady would give him.

Although the old lady gave him food and water, she couldn't take him in. Her husband was a strict old man and wouldn't let a stray like Murasakibara into the house. Much less a big kid with a huge appetite for food.

And so Murasakibara wondered the streets when one day, one encounter changed his life. It was snowing that day and Murasakibara had been sitting down on the ground with an empty hat before him, snuggling closer to his scarf, the only source of heat he had.

People passed but nobody even spared to look at him. He watched with his fazed eyes as people passed by, going on with their everyday lives. Then all of a sudden, a foot appeared before him. Murasakibara looked up to see a kid about his age standing before him.

The child before him had fierce red hair that resembled fire and eyes to match. He worse expensive clothing and had two men standing behind him. The men wore black suits and sunglasses, probably his bodyguards.

Murasakibara narrowed his eyes in wary. The type of people he hated the most were the rich who don't think about anyone but themselves. Showering themselves with millions while others had nothing to eat. Those people disgusted him the most.

The redhead smiled, reaching out into his pocket before placing money into the hat. Murasakibara's eyes slightly widened when he noticed that it wasn't just coins but paper money, not a small number at that. He was left confused as 10000 yen was now in his previously empty hat.

The redhead kneeled down, while Murasakibara looked up, not knowing what to think. "I know this isn't enough but with this much you'll be able to buy some new clothing and some food."

Murasakibara was still staring with shock before his eyes suddenly became wary. These are the people who turned their noses when catching sight of people like him... why would this kid help?

"What good would it do if you gave me money? What's in it for you?" He asked, his voice quiet since he hasn't had a drink in a while. It's not like he used his voice a lot either.

Murasakibara didn't know what to think and maybe he's crazy for thinking this but he noticed the redhead's eyes gaze back at the two men behind him warily, as if he was thinking through before he said anything. "Nothing. I'm just a spoiled brat, trying to make amends." Then Murasakibara noticed his eyes drop down, as if he was remembering something.

The kid looked like he regrets something or... something along those lines. What would a rich kid have to regret? Murasakibara looked back down at the money before hesitantly pulling the hat to himself. "Well.. thanks I guess.." Who was he to refuse money? Who knows when his next meal would be?

"My name is Aka-... Seijuro. You?" He redhead stopped mid sentence, looking back at the two men before saying his name.

Murasakibara looked at him with slight confusion before shrugging. "Murasakibara Atsushi.." But was he technically a Murasakibara anymore? With his parents divorced and himself abandoned, wouldn't he just be considered Atsushi?

Akashi smiled warmly, extending his hand to the other, "I know its too much to ask for but will you be willing to become my friend?"

Murasakibara narrowed his eyes and replied immediately with, "No." Why on earth would this rich spoiled brat want to be his friend?

Akashi couldn't say he was surprised, on the contrary, he expected a denial. He retrieved his hand, "Then-"

"Let's go. Don't waste our time." One of the men suddenly grabbed Akashi's shoulder, making him stand up. The redhead was startled but complied none the less. Murasakibara noticed that Akashi's smile vanished and his red eyes became darker. "I'll come-"

"Move it brat." The men pushed him, walking away from Murasakibara who watched in confusion. What did he just see?

That wasn't the only time they spoke with each other. Since Murasakibara had nothing else to do, he was always there with his hat to get more money. He did get a few new clothes and a meal, and he was saving the rest for emergency in case he couldn't get food or water.

The redhead came by again which surprised Murasakibara. Of course he came with those bodyguards again, but him coming back was a surprise in itself. "What are you doing back here?"

The redhead kneeled down before him again, placing another 10000 yen inside the hat. "I was just passing by." He looked at the hat and noticed that nothing was inside, only the 10000 yen he put in, "I see you got some new clothes. Maybe with this you could buy a new coat."

"Why do you keep giving me money? I was doing good enough without it." Yeah he'd go hungry a few nights, but he was still alive wasn't he? "I just don't see why you would do this without getting something in return."

"Because we're the same." Akashi's warm yet saddened smile returned. Murasakibara didn't know how to put it but he felt like the smile had many meanings behind it. This redhead was strange... There's no way a rich kid like him would be the same as him who is unwanted and thrown away...

The redhead looked up, "Come with me. I'll give you a place to stay."

"Sorry, but no." Murasakibara declined again. This boy wasn't just strange. He was quite stubborn. But hopefully he'd give up soon. There's no way he could house with a random person, a rich one at that.

"I know you don't trust me and I don't blame you. I wouldn't if I was you either but... please consider it. I'm just a rich brat but use me all you want. This is your opportunity."

Use him all he wants? Seriously, what kind of kid would say that? How was he raised? "No thanks.. I'd rather not." Murasakibara declined again.

Akashi sighed, as the men around him were getting impatient. "Hurry it up." One of the men said and unlike the past couple of times, Akashi decided to get up, knowing that if he didn't, he would be forcefully dragged. "I'll come again." He told Murasakibara before he left with the men in tow.

Murasakibara watched the other walk off before looking back at the new money in his hat. What a strange rich brat.

Believe it or not, that kid really did come back. And not just the next day. He kept coming back around the same time every day, no matter the weather. Of course Murasakibara was there no matter the weather either, so he couldn't necessarily avoid the other. But he didn't feel the need to anyway. He wouldn't admit it, but he liked it that the other visited him despite Murasakibara telling him no and declining his offers. He was really stubborn.

They'd have small talk every time Akashi came back. They'd talk about anything on their minds. But sometimes it was just quiet too if either of them were having a rough day. It was almost a shame they couldn't spend more than two minutes together. But even if it's only two minutes a day, Murasakibara has learned that this kid is not your average spoiled rich brat. He was just a kid too, like him. And he knew that something was going on with Akashi, something beyond what normal or rich people go through.

And again he came back. Murasakibara watched as Akashi walked up to him with the men behind him, placing the 10000 yen in the hat as usual before kneeling down in front of him. "Hello. Did you change your mind about coming with me?"

Murasakibara didn't answer yet and just stared at the other. This person was the one who kept him from going hungry and gave him enough money to buy clothes and other things he needed. It was still a surprise to him even though it's been happening for who knows how many days now.

"...Why?" He finally spoke. "I realise.. I know you're not a spoiled brat but.. still, why? Why offer me a home? I'm just a street rat." He asked this often but all Akashi said was "we are similar".

"You're not a rat." The words shot out of Akashi instantly. "If you're a rat then so am I. We're the same." The redhead hesitated because he knew that Murasakibara didn't like to be touched but he reached out anyway.

He slowly placed his hand on Murasakibara's shoulder who flinched at the contact. "We're both unwanted."

"Unwanted?" This boy was also unwanted? But... didn't he have a family who gave him everything he wanted? "You're..?" So even rich brats can be unwanted too huh?

Akashi smiled moving his lips but strangely enough no sound came out. Murasakibara looked, trying to read what he was saying. "Run" He finally understood and it was then that the redhead suddenly took his hand and quickly started running into the dark alleyways. "Hey!" The men in black suits immediately took off after them as well.

The chase began but Murasakibara had no idea what was happening at all. Why was he running away from his guards? Why was he running at all? More importantly, how did he find himself mixed up in this mess?

The two ran, turning corner after corner, trying to lose the group of men behind them. Finally they did manage to lose them, hiding in a dark alleyway, far from the main street. The two panted, trying to catch their breaths but Murasakibara couldn't help but look at the other in confusion.

The redhead panted until he suddenly started laughing, confusing Murasakibara even more.

"What are you laughing about?" Murasakibara didn't think any of this was funny. He was exhausted and confused. "Why did we run from those guys?"

"I apologise, it's just... relieving." Akashi smiled, turning to Murasakibara. "Isn't it fun? They were a bother anyway." He came up closer until he sneaked his hand into Murasakibara's pocket, taking out the pocketknife he had for defending himself. Murasakibara was on edge as soon as his pocketknife was taken, watching Akashi take it out and look at the blade. "Sharp."

Murasakibara wanted to ask more about what just happened of course, but his main priority at the moment was getting his only weapon for defense back. "You better not take it.."

Akashi's eyes looked back at Murasakibara before turning the knife so that he held the sharp point towards himself and the holder towards the other. "Here." He said, holding the knife for Murasakibara to take.

Murasakibara looked at the knife, confused, but he did reach out for his knife. When he took it in his hand, he was surprised when the redhead intentionally cut himself, making his hand bleed due to the big wound on his hand.

"H-Hey, why'd you do that?" Murasakibara made the other let go of the blade handle and closed the pocket knife immediately. Then he pulled Akashi's hand close to see how deep the wound is. It's not like he could treat it since he didn't have the knowledge nor supplies to do it, but maybe he could somehow help? "Seriously, why did you do that?"

"It's disgusting." Akashi muttered, "This blood is disgusting." He looked up at Murasakibara who was shocked once again, "Give me the knife. I'll end everything right here and now. I'll finally be free."

"What are you talking about?" Did this kid actually want to kill himself? Why? He must get everything he wants while he got nothing, yet he didn't want to kill himself. Why did Akashi? "Why? And I'm not giving you the knife."

"Give it to me!" Akashi threw himself on Murasakibara, clenching his fists and grabbing his coat, "Give it to me before they find us! I don't have much time."

"Look, I'm not going to let you kill yourself!" He didn't know what was going on in the other's life, but this really did confirm that he's not just a rich brat. "Why do you want to kill yourself?"

"I'm unwanted." Again those very same words he said when they met, "You understand. You understand better than anyone. The feeling of utter uselessness, the hate towards others, the need to survive. You understand because we're the same. Exactly the same." Akashi's and Murasakibara's eyes met. "I know you've considered suicide at times as well. All of us do." When he said 'all of us', Murasakibara knew that he was referring to the homeless and unwanted people.

"Return my kindness. Please kill me."

"That.. that may be true but.. I'm not going to let you resort to suicide." The only reason why Murasakibara hasn't done it is because he is afraid of death. He is more afraid of death than being homeless and unwanted.

"I refuse to kill you." He said firmly, putting the pocketknife away. "I don't know what's going on in your life, but suicide is not the answer. Don't kill yourself or have anyone else kill you.." He didn't know why he was even fighting about this. If it was anyone else, he wouldn't really care.

Akashi stared at the other in desperation, "Even if I get down on my knees and beg, you still wouldn't give it to me?" He looked into the purple eyes and knew it was true. He let go of Murasakibara's coat, his hands falling to his sides, "I thought you would understand. Only you could."

"I understand but.. suicide really isn't the answer. Besides, I don't want to kill anyone or see anyone die in front of me." Murasakibara said. "Why do you want to die so badly?"

It suddenly became quiet as the question hang in the air. Akashi had his head low while Murasakibara awaited the answer, so when Akashi looked up, Murasakibara listened closely. "I..." However, suddenly Akashi's eyes widened which confused the purple head. What happened?

However, when Akashi touched his right shoulder, Murasakibara saw the bullet that was injected into Akashi's arm. The bullet wasn't a bullet but a needle that was shot. Akashi took it out, gasping in pain as he fell down. Murasakibara was there just in time to catch him before he could fall down on the cold ground.

"I..." Akashi muttered as the men in black suits approached them. "You brats! This won't go unpunished!" The men ran and when they reached them, one of the men took out his tool and hit Murasakibara in the head. The poor child couldn't defend himself as he fell down on the ground, his eyes slowly closing. The last image he saw was that of Akashi being taken away and the men leaving. Then came darkness.

After that, things returned to how they used to be for a while. Murasakibara would wait in the same place but Akashi would never come. He wouldn't admit it to himself, but he was worried. The last time he saw Akashi, he was pleading for Murasakibara to kill him. He wanted to see him again, to make sure the other was okay and didn't kill himself.

It's been a while, Murasakibara wasn't sure how long since he didn't keep track of the days, but he did see Akashi again. It startled him when he saw those same shoes stop in front of him and when he looked up, it really was Akashi. Where has he been all this time?

Murasakibara raised his eyebrow when he saw a black eye on Akashi's face. The redhead didn't smile like he used to but just kneeled down to place the usual 10000 yen in the hat. He looked up at Murasakibara, opening his lips to talk but no sound came. Murasakibara watched carefully so he could understand what the other was trying to say, "I'm sorry. We won't see each other anymore."

Murasakibara's eyes widened as Akashi lowered his head and stood up. Slowly walking away with the men in suits behind him.

This will be the last time he saw Akashi? For some reason, he didn't like the sound of that. Murasakibara quickly picked up the hat then got up to go after Akashi. He didn't know why he was running after the other either, but he just let it happen.

"If the offer still stands, let me come with you!" He suddenly said when he caught up to Akashi, making him stop which seemed to annoy the men in suits. "I don't want this to be the last time we meet.."

Akashi was surprised, glancing at the men beside him before speaking up, "I don't think you should come. I changed my mind. Even this is better than..." He stopped, carefully choosing his words because he knows that his every move is watched and heard.

"I'm being serious. I really don't mind... please, let me come with you. I don't care what I have to do." Murasakibara insisted.

"Scram brat. We don't need you-"

"He can come."

"Huh?" The men looked down at Akashi, glaring at him for speaking against them, waiting for his reason.

"Sir Akashi allows it. I've already discussed it with him." Akashi looked at Murasakibara while the men were in doubt. Not trusting the redhead, they decided to call their superiors to check. "Yes sir, I see. Sorry for disturbing you." The man hanged up the phone before looking over at Murasakibara. "Come here brat. You're coming with us."

Murasakibara really didn't know what he was getting into, but at least he'd get to see Akashi again. He reluctantly walked over to the men, looking at Akashi to see if this all was really alright. He wanted to ask what the men and the need to be killed was all about since he was now going to be living with Akashi, but he decided to wait until they were alone.

When they've arrived to Akashi's house, Murasakibara was left speechless. He knew Akashi was rich but he didn't know he was this rich! The luxurious car they were in drove towards a large mansion as the gate opened to them. They drove through a rox of trees that seemed to be cared for and maintained every single day. There were also fountains and a park in the garden! The place was humongous.

The car stopped in front of the mansion and as they got out, Murasakibara had yet to realise what he got himself into. He began to dout his decision as they all went inside. The men escorted him and Akashi to the redhead's room but it was here that something didn't match up with the rest of the mansion.

Akashi's room was small, very small. There was rarely space for a bed, let alone any furniture that could fit and because of it the room only had a small queen size bed and one small table along with it. Nothing else. Murasakibara and Akashi got in, the men in suits leaving them alone. Although, now that Murasakibara was inside he could see a security camera that was inside the room, watching everything they did.

The two sat on the bed, facing each other as Akashi's lips began to move again, no sound accompanying it. Murasakibara focused to understand. "They can hear everything. Be careful what you say." He paused, "I'm never alone. There's always someone watching or accompanying me but I will tell you everything when I have the chance."

For being a rich kid, Akashi's room felt more like a prison. Murasakibara might've been homeless, but at least he was free. But Akashi... He couldn't imagine what he's been through. Just the tiny room with the camera and the guards from before gave off hints to a nasty life.

"...Thanks for offering to take me in." He understood that Akashi couldn't tell him now. He was so curious to know what is happening, but he'd have to wait longer if he wanted answers.

Murasaskibara was given his own room and just like Akashi's, it was small but didn't have a camera in the corner. When they brought him to his room for the night, Murasakibara heard a sound, as if the men were locking him in. He panicked and went to the doors, only to find that they were really locked. They had locked him in for the night to make sure he doesn't wonder off.

Since he had nothing else to do, Murasakibara decided to sleep. The sooner he falls asleep, the sooner he'll see Akashi. Days went by and Murasakibara got used to the daily ritual. The morning would start off with a breakfast with Akashi and then they would be taken to some kind of a laboratory. Murasakibara didn't know what it was for, no, they didn't allow hm to know. All he had to do was wait for them to be done with Akashi, until they could both finally go home for the day.

Murasakibara was getting more and more confused by the day but then one day when Akashi and Murasakibara went to the park, Akashi took the chance to tell him everything. About the experiments, about the creatures and about the plan to use them against other countries. Akashi had even told him about himself and his circumstance, the reason he's being watched at all times and the reason he's treated like this.

Murasakibara couldn't help but be in shock. Who wouldn't be after hearing such a story? At one point he began to doubt the redhead and thought he was lying to him but deep down Murasakibara knew it was true.

Akashi didn't tell him this but Murasakibara learned, over time, that the 10000 yen Akashi would give him every day was actually his daily allowance. If Akashi gave him all of his allowance then he wouldn't have any money himself, but... That wasn't what shook Murasakibara the most.

One day he was walking down a corridor when he heard two of the guards talking. He hid, hiding from the until they passed, overhearing their conversation. "So what's up with that stay from the street? That purple haired kid?"

"Ah! Him? I heard they're just keeping him so that Subject 4 doesn't attempt to kill himself again."

"Geez~ So bothersome."

The men laughed but Murasakibara was left speechless that day. The thoughts of taking his own life crossed his mind but... he couldn't so it. He was afraid of death but more importantly, he couldn't leave Akashi here alone...

One day when the men brought Akashi and Murasakibara to the laboratory, Murasakibara was left in the waiting room as usual. He didn't know what to do but then he noticed a cracked open door. Deciding to take this chance, Murasakibara sneaked in.

He walked through corridors and corridors, seeing laboratories after laboratories until he heard a... cry? Murasakibara raised his brow as he followed the voice, getting stronger and stronger until he finally saw a man in white clothing behind the glass. He watched as the man played with his tablet, crying while repeating, "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!"

Of course Murasakibara was curious as to why this man was crying and apologizing. But he couldn't ask why or else he'd get in trouble. He wasn't supposed to be in the room anyway so if he was caught, he'd get in serious trouble. So with reluctance, he silently left the crying man alone with his tablet.

"After that I was going to tell Aka-chin, but.. I never really got the chance since we were always watched and never got a chance to be alone." Murasakibara ended, his mind now back in the present.

Kuroko had listened closely the whole time but he still couldn't believe it. He never knew Murasakibara was homeless and unwanted... He was the person who kept Akashi from killing himself. If it wasn't for Murasakibara, Akashi would be dead. He was left speechless, wondering what to say. "...I guess.. thank you for saving Akashi-kun.."

"Kuro-chin doesn't need to thank me~ I did it because I wanted to." Murasakibara leaned on the wall behind him. He felt relieved, as if a huge burden had been lifted up from his chest.

"I still want to thank you." Kuroko said, watching Murasakibara. "But.. Why did you tell me about that crying man?"

"Hmmm~" The giant hummed, "He kind of looked like Kuro-chin's dad~ The one that was in the cocoon~ Only... younger."

"My dad?" Kuroko questioned. If that was his dad... then maybe the tablet he had was... He looked over at his bag before back at Murasakibara. "Do you think the tablet he was holding was..?"

Murasakibara nodded, "It looked just like the one Kuro-chin had~" He couldn't remember it clearly but he swore it was the same.

Kuroko got up almost immediately and went to his bag. He retrieved the tablet before returning to Murasakibara on the bed. He sat down and turned the tablet on. He was glad he didn't waste the battery. "You said he was repeating sorry?"

He clicked on the file and stared at the password input. It might not work, but it was worth a shot... He typed in 'sorry' and was shocked when it opened and revealed a video he could click on. "Murasakibara-kun.." He would have never thought of "sorry" as a password. Murasakibara helped him get the file open!

"A video~?" Murasakibara looked at the tablet screen, noticing one file on it named 'Subject 4'. "What is it Kuro-chin?"

"This was the tablet I got off my dad at the nest.. I've been trying to open this file ever since I got it. You helped me so much." Kuroko said while looking at the other. "Maybe this will tell us some things we don't already know."

"Hmm~" Murasakibara looked at the screen again before nodding at Kuroko, who did the same. They didn't know what to expect but they were both ready for it. No matter what they find on the tablet, they were ready. Kuroko clicked on the file as it opened. The first image that appeared was that of Kuroko's father, sitting at a desk and looking at the camera. Kuroko recognised the surroundings and was shocked when he realised that it was his house.

"Log 345. September 23, 2XXX." He started off, "My name is Takeshi Kuroko. A member of Sector X and an employee of the Akashi Corporation. Before I go on any further, I would like to tell you a bit about my employers. The Akashi corporation is a multi-billion industry. It wouldn't be far fetched if we said that it rules the whole of Japan, because it does."

Takeshi leaned on the table before him, "It presents itself as a company that handles environmental issues, however, that is far from the truth. That is a cover up to hide their real purpose which is much more deadly." He paused, as if letting the viewers sink in the information before going on.

"The Akashi Corporation's true identity is that of a weapons manufacturer. They design and create all sorts of weapons that are used in the Japanese military. They've even created atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs, keeping it hidden from the public eye." Takeshi's eyes trailed off to the side.

"However nothing compares to the project that is currently in development. January 21, 2XXX; a comet had crash landed near Tokyo. The general public saw the comet crash land but that was as far as their knowledge of it stretched. The secret service was the first on the scene, securing the giant asteroid and transporting it into one of the Akashi Corporation facilities for further research."

Takeshi took another pause and it was this time that Kuroko and Murasakibara noticed that he not only gave time for the viewers to intake the information, but he also paused to compose himself and carry on. "The stone was marvellous. Full of unknown materials we couldn't even dream of. Our sector, Sector X, was assigned and created for the purpose of studying the meteorite. We decided to cut it through, to explore its core but little did we know that it was the core that held true treasure."

A pause, "We found a red stone inside that had a mind of its own. It could manipulate objects and move as if it was a living being. We quarantined the red stone, assigning the codename 'Ignis' to it due to its red colour and the heat you would feel when you approach it. Ignis was a mystery to us, grabbing our curiosity, making us more than eager to study it, learn about it."

Takeshi sighed before chuckling to himself, "A scientist is curious by nature. Hungering for information and answers." He raised his head again, looking straight into the camera. "And so we began to study Ignis, who stunned us each and every time. We were fascinated by it, but as the nature of our company would have it, we were forced to transform Ignis into a weapon of mass destruction we could use."

"Ignis had power, so much power that it surpassed the atomic bomb, no, it was capable of destroying the entire planet and possibly the moon which would be caught in the fire as well. However, it was unstable, uncontrollable. We needed a medium to control Ignis and then the idea came... the idea of using the human body as a host to control Ignis."

Takeshi's face looked pained, "We began experimenting on infants who weren't even 1 year old. We found that it was possible for Ignis to be transferred into a host... It was as if Ignis itself was looking for one all along... Our journey took us far but it was a journey full of failures. Two years had passed and we still couldn't find a host... But we used the infants that died after the failed tests. We used their bodies to creature creatures... monsters you could say."

A pause, "We created thousands, millions of creatures that would one day serve Ignis and replace soldiers in wars. Truly an unstoppable army. They could even withstand bullets and missiles. The only weapons that could take them down were those that we specifically created for that purpose. Professor Midorima and his group were responsible for the creation of those weapons."

Takeshi's expression became more pained, "We used the bodies of the infants as a base but then we used the DNA of those creatures to create bigger, much stronger monsters than those before them. The number now rose to millions, millions of creatures which the Akashi Corporation along with the government kept in secret locations. Even I don't know their locations... and I helped create them."

Takeshi sighed, "But we still couldn't find a host for Ignis. It had come to the point where we lost hope but then my wife became pregnant. We discussed the possibility of using our child as a test subject and we both agreed. If our child could be a success then so be it. When the child was born, we did the synchronisation test. Success was almost at our reach but we were missing just 1%... 1% and it would have finally been complete. Never the less, we let Tetsuya, our son, maintain contact with Ignis and it was truly marvellous. He could understand Ignis and play with him. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to see that."

Another pause, "However, the Akashi Corporation wasn't content and wanted Ignis under their control. And so, the CEO of the Akashi Corporation, Masaomi Akashi, tracked down his own son that he had disowned long ago. He told us to test him and we were all surprised when the 100% appeared on our screens. Finally a success!"

Takeshi smiled, "We had found a suitable host for Ignis but now that we did, we wanted to test it and so we let him and Tetsuya into the playroom he and Ignis used to play in. The results were truly stunning."

The video turned to show the room Kuroko saw before, the one he used to play with Ignis in. Instead Akashi was there. They were probably a little younger than toddlers but they weren't babies either.

It was obvious that Kuroko was shy since he wasn't speaking or even looking at Akashi. He was just sitting on the ground, trying to distract himself by playing with one of the toys he had.

While Kuroko was playing with the toy, all Akashi did was stare at the other. Meanwhile, the scientists stood behind the glass, watching the two interact. It was Kuroko's and Akashi's first meeting so it was very important for everyone to see how it will go. Now that Ignis is in a host, will Kuroko reach the same? or will it change? That was the question one everyone's mind.

Akashi kept on looking at Kuroko, until he finally made a move. Akashi pushed the toy away from Kuroko's hand before he threw himself to embrace the other out of nowhere.

Kuroko's eyes widened as he instinctively embraced Akashi back. He didn't expect the other to hug him before even saying hello. "...What wrong..?" Usually when someone hugged someone else, they were sad right? That's what Kuroko thought.

"Tetsu... Te... Tetsu... Tetsuya..." Akashi tightened his hold on the other, not letting go no matter what. "R-R... Ruby... Tetsuya…"

Ruby? What about Ruby? So this meant Akashi knew Ruby? Well, if he knew Ruby, he must be trust worthy... "Ruby? What happen?"

"Tetsuya.. Tetsuya... Tetsuya..." Akashi didn't let the other go, tightening his embrace. Kuroko's parents as well as Masaomi Akashi watched. "What's happening?" Masaomi turned to Kuroko's mother.

"Perhaps it's Ruby's influence. Seijuro and Tetsuya have never met before, they don't even know each other's names, yet Seijuro knows it. The only way he could know is because of Ruby." She explained, watching the two closely.

Kuroko didn't know what to do. This person whose name he didn't even know yet was clinging to him and repeating his name which he didn't even give yet... "U-Um.. name? Your name?"

Akashi gave one tight squeeze before weakening his grip, but not letting go. "Ruby... You gave it to me. My precious... name... Tetsuya…"

Ruby? "B-But.. Ruby doesn't look like you.." Kuroko was confused and a little scared. Who was this pretending to be his friend?

Akashi's hands fell down to touch Kuroko's, only then did he move away so that they could both see each other clearly. "You don't remember? You don't..." Suddenly Akashi gasped, letting go of Kuroko before touching his head which was hurting.

"A-Are you okay?" Kuroko asked, watching Akashi worriedly. He really was starting to get more scared than confused. Why was he placed in a room with this person claiming to be his friend?

"What's happening?" Masaomi asked again, turning to Kuroko's mother.

"Subject 4 is becoming unstable." She said, watching the tablet that showed Kuroko's and Akashi's wavelengths on it, and unlike Kuroko's calm ones, Akashi's were becoming unstable.

"Tetsuya... Tetsuya... Tetsuya..." Akashi kept on repeating, holding his head tightly. "Tetsuya... Tetsuya..." Akashi began panting when suddenly a few cracks appeared on the glass that was shielding the scientists, startling them all.

"Abort! Abort! This is getting out of control!" Masaomi ordered as the scientists got to work, "Che! I knew he was a street rat." Masaomi muttered while Kuroko's parents watched calmly, despite the other scientists running around.

"Tetsuya... Doesn't remember... My Tetsuya... Doesn't remember…"

"I..I remember!" Kuroko said, hoping to calm the other. Of course he couldn't hear the people beyond the glass since the room was designed to hear only what was in the room. "I remember.. Ruby.."

"You're lying... I can feel it... Tetsuya..." Another wave hit the room, creating even more cracks in the glass and even making small holes in it. Akashi looked up and it was then that Kuroko noticed that both of his eyes were golden, "I love you... yet... you forget... the only human... whom... I love... Tetsuya..."

Suddenly the glass that was shielding the scientists shattered, revealing them to the two children in the room. "Sound the alarm!" Masaomi ordered as the scientists ran out of the observing dock to safety. However, Kuroko's parents didn't move at all, staying in place and watching. Masaomi noticed this and went up to them, "We have to go." He told the two but they ignored him.

"Tetsuya... Tetsuya... My Tetsuya…"

When the glass broke, it was more than enough for Kuroko. He might've been an experiment that's been exposed to monsters and to Ruby, but he was still a kid.

Rather than being confused as to why those people had been watching through the window, he just started to cry. He wanted his parents or Ruby back to comfort him.

Even though the laboratory was in chaos, Akashi still heard Kuroko's cries. He looked up at Kuroko and as he did, the entire room became quiet. The only thing that he could hear were Kuroko's cries. "Tetsuya..." Akashi reached out to the other, embracing him gently. "Don't cry Tetsuya... It's okay... Don't cry. I'm here... I'll protect... you…"

Kuroko heard the other's words but he still kept crying. But he did calm down a little. He didn't know why but... the other's presence kind of felt like Ruby's. No, it was Ruby's. Whenever he played with Ruby, the other had a warm, comforting presence. He was feeling that now when Akashi embraced him once more. He didn't feel it earlier because he had been scared.

"R-Ruby," Kuroko kept crying even though he wanted to stop. If this really was Ruby... what happened to him? The Ruby he played with was just a stone that looked beautiful. What happened to his friend?

Akashi broke the hug but gently held Kuroko's hands in his. He looked into Kuroko's teal blue eyes, raising one of his hands to brush off the tears from Kuroko's cheeks, "You remembered. Tetsuya, you remembered!" Akashi cupped the other's face, gently leaning in so that their foreheads touched.

"W-What did they do to Ruby?" Kuroko asked, sniffing a little as he tried to suppress his cries. "R-Ruby is.. different."

"I'm Ruby, Tetsuya. I changed just for you. Now we can talk and do things we couldn't before." Akashi gently brushed Kuroko's cheeks with his thumbs, "You don't like it?"

"I-I do but.. did it hurt?" Kuroko asked worriedly, placing his hands over Akashi's. Or rather ruby's hands.

"No, nothing hurts for Tetsuya." Akashi looked into Kuroko's eyes but then out of the corner of his eye he saw something shine. His eyes widened before he quickly moved to catch the flying object that was aimed at Kuroko. Kuroko was scared and worried but when Akashi opened his hand, he saw a needle bullet.

Kuroko began shaking and moved close to Akashi's chest for protection. Akashi, no, Ruby noticed this and it angered him. Meanwhile, more guns appeared, aiming to fire at Ruby. Ruby narrowed his eyes before another wave hit the surroundings, knocking everyone down.

This time Kuroko's parents fell down as well, "Subject 4 is getting out of control. It looks like even Tetsuya couldn't control him" Kuroko's father said but his mother looked at the tablet in hand, "No, he did calm him but he himself is scared as well. He's just a child Takeshi. We have to intervene now."

Kuroko's parents stood up and ran inside into the control room. While Ruby was defending against bullets, Kuroko's parents activated something he couldn't stop. Takeshi Kuroko pressed the button and when he did, the room suddenly started to fog up.

Ruby and Kuroko noticed the fog but couldn't defend against it. Ruby coughed and coughed, "I'll save.. Tetsuya..." Then suddenly he fell unconscious on the ground as the people around them stopped shooting.

"R-Ru..by.." Kuroko coughed out, feeling a little suffocated with the fog. But he couldn't do anything about it because he too passed out without much of a fight.

"It's dangerous! Remember what happened when they met? Somebody could have been killed!" Takeshi Kuroko's voice echoes in Kuroko's ears as his hazed eyes slowly began to open.

"You may see it that way but I see it as progress. If we have them interact again then we can force Ignis to succumb to us!" This time another voice echoed, it was that of Masaomi Akashi.

"Takeshi is right. It's dangerous." Kuroko's mother added with her cold voice.

"But Haruka! Didn't you see that! That reaction was marvellous! If we use Subject 11 to threaten Ignis then we can control him." Masaomi urged but the two scientists weren't convinced.

"It wouldn't work Masaomi. Ignis is an unknown entity. Before you know it, you might end up killed."

Masaomi grumbled, "Is it because of your son? You don't want us to use your son in such a way am I right?" He slightly raised his voice, but the two parents kept quiet.

"That's ridiculous and you know it. All we ever did was in the name of science. Such emotions such as love or care hinder our work." Or did it? Did it really?

Masaomi sighed, walking up to Kuroko who was laying down on a metallic table. Masaomi smiled when he noticed that Kuroko's eyes were halfway open, "You did well Subject 11. Now sleep~" Masaomi placed his hand on Kuroko's eyes and just as if it was magic, Kuroko did fall back asleep.

When Kuroko opened his eyes again, they were hazy again as they tried to adjust to the strong light that was pointing at him.

"Everything is ready Doctor Kuroko"

"Thank you. Wait for my command."

"Yes sir."

Kuroko's father walked up to the small boy that was strapped onto a table, "Good morning son. How are you feeling?"

Kuroko tiredly looked over at his dad before realizing he's been strapped down. He got a little scared and tugged his arms to free himself, but it was no use. "D-Daddy?" He questioned nervously. He's never been strapped down before... What was going on? Was this a time out?

"Don't worry son, everything will be okay. Daddy will make all of the pain go away." Takeshi said but as he did, a device behind him began to emit light, frightening the little boy.

"B-But.." He didn't know what to say or do. His dad was actually scaring him. "I-I don't feel pain.."

"You don't feel pain right now but you will when we leave. We're leaving son, we're going to Tokyo. You will start going to school and play with children your age. It will be a new beginning."

Leaving? They were leaving this place? "Is Ruby coming with?" Kuroko asked quietly. If Ruby came, he wouldn't mind leaving.

Takeshi fidgeted with a pen he held in his hand before placing it in his pocket, "No. Ruby won't be coming. You see son, Ruby belongs here. His daddy is here who watches over him and he has many other friends here. Don't worry, you'll forget him when you find new friends in school."

"Forget.. Ruby?" There's no way he could forget Ruby! "No! I won't forget him! I don't want to!" Like any other child, he wanted to throw a tantrum. It was hard to do when he was strapped down though.

"I'm sorry son but you'll have to. No, you will forget him." Takeshi had a pained expression when he reached out and placed some kind of a device on the child's head. "You, mama and I will start anew and if that is to happen then you'll have to forget everything."

Takeshi placed his hand on Kuroko's cheek, "Daddy knows what's best for you. Trust me son." He looked at Kuroko one last time before turning around and walking away to join the other scientists behind the glowing device.

"No! I don't want to forget Ruby!" Kuroko struggled and squirmed as hard as he could, but it was useless. He was just a child after all. Not even a full grown adult could break out of this. "Please, I don't want to forget!" He cried.

Takeshi remained quiet as his co-workers began preparing the machine, "Initiating." And soon enough it was activated, causing Kuroko to scream from the bottom of his lungs. The father did nothing but watch as his son's memory was erased.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** *No Note*

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Enjoy the longer chapter :) See you next week!

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	22. File 22

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

The screen changed, returning to Takeshi who was looking into the camera. "My wife and I never thought that Tetsuya would develop such a strong bond with Ignis. It was so strong that it was impossible to separate them. The only way we could do so was with sedatives and memory erasure."

Takeshi lowered his head, "I only did what was best for my son. If we had let him maintain contact with Ignis and stay in Kyoto then Masaomi and the others would have used him in their favor, in order to control Ignis, who knows what they would have done to Tetsuya. My wife and I made the right choice. I'm sure of it."

The man sighed, "Once we've arrived to Tokyo, we began our new life just as we've promised. We sent Tetsuya to school but strangely enough he didn't socialize with the rest of the children as well as we had hoped. Perhaps it was due to Ignis... We began to wonder if he had still remembered but after asking him a few questions, we concluded that he didn't. Which led us to believe that it was just Tetsuya's nature to be withdrawn." However, even though he said that, Takeshi seemed troubled.

"I and my wife were assigned to the Tokyo sector, receiving updates from the main branch regularly. We've learned that there was another incident right after we've left. Apparently Ignis has caused an uproar again, demanding to see Tetsuya but luckily with the sedatives they were able to calm him down. After that I was informed that Ignis had been quarantined, not moving for about 2 weeks before he finally spoke again."

Takeshi ruffled through his drawer to get out a paper, "This is what was recorded, this is what Ignis had said, 'Tetsuya... left... betrayed me... just like all... disgusting humans do...'"

Takeshi folded the paper back to how it was, "After that, the scientists at the Kyoto branch were surprised to see all signs of Ignis disappear. Everyone was in an uproar, thinking that Ignis had disappeared or perhaps killed itself. However, after countless tests and research they've learned that Ignis had entered into a coma like state inside its host. They concluded that because of Tetsuya's influence, Ignis was able to take over his host in an unbelievable amount of time, something which should have taken years to do. Now that Tetsuya was gone, the true manifestation of Ignis could begin. It will take over his host completely, not temporarily like he did when he was with Tetsuya, but they estimated that it would take years in order for that process to be complete."

Takeshi brushed away some strands of hair that were falling down on his face, "The men that were assigned to be in charge of Ignis when we left were the Shirogane brothers. They're capable men so I had no doubt they would do a marvelous job."

Suddenly Takeshi was startled when the doors behind him opened to reveal Kuroko's mother and little Kuroko running to his father.

"Daddy!" The child called as Takeshi picked him up and placed him in his lap. Haruka approached her husband and leaned on the chair, "Recording another entry?"

"Yes, but I'm done."

"I see. Then hurry downstairs, dinner is ready." Haruka took Kuroko's hand as they both slowly left to go downstairs. Takeshi smiling while watching them leave.

"I just want to say one more thing before I leave. I'm afraid for the future... With the countless creatures we've created and... Ignis... I'm afraid it will destroy us rather than protect us. Doctor Midorima and his team have similar thoughts and that's why they've begun developing weapons that could counter the creatures. I too began to develop something, to help my son should he end up alone." Takeshi unbuttoned his shirt, showing a small blue pendant hanging from his neck, the very same one Kuroko has.

"This pendant is special. Even though the main branch has found a way to stop Ignis, their method is very frail. They've developed four mechanisms that are in shape of stones; composed of the very same meteorite Ignis was found in. If one should break then everything is over, however with this pendant, I think-"

Suddenly the screen became black, as the tablet shut off.

Both Kuroko and Murasakibara stared at the screen with surprise. Kuroko tried turning it on over and over again, but all the screen showed was a giant battery that was red. No more battery left...

"No... No! No!" Kuroko still kept trying but it was useless. "Please, I have to know! I have.. to know.." He started off loud and angry but slowly went to quiet and upset. But he tried not to cry. He's been doing a lot of that recently.

So his father erased his memory and moved them all to Tokyo, saying it was for the best... Kuroko didn't care if it was for the best. And he didn't care if the scientists experimented on him if he had stayed. Ruby thought he betrayed him, which must've been why he got really angry whenever he kissed him to bring Akashi back.

"I didn't want to leave Ruby.. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.." He whispered to himself, holding the tablet tightly in his hands. He wanted to throw it, but he just couldn't. If there was any way to charge it, it wouldn't do any good to have a broken tablet.

Murasakibara was left speechless. It was a lot to take in but finally it all made sense. What happened to Akashi while he was waiting in the waiting room... why he was brought to live and be with Akashi... as well as the others. They had all been gathered by their parents to play with Akashi because if they didn't, then Akashi would have tried to attempt suicide. This way, with Aomine, Midorima, Kise and him, Akashi wouldn't be able to do it.

Murasakibara looked back at Kuroko who was clinging onto the tablet but he didn't know what to say. It was just too much to take in all at once. He placed his hand on Kuroko's shoulder, "It's not Kuro-chin's fault. Kuro-chin is a victim as well."

"I told you, I don't care that I'm a victim or an experiment or whatever! It's my fault that Akashi-kun is going through so much pain and why Ruby thinks I betrayed him. If I had been compatible with Ruby, neither of them would have suffered! I don't care how much pain or how many needles I would have to go through. They don't deserve to go through that.." Kuroko closed his eyes to calm himself. "...But thank you, Murasakibara-kun. For telling me what happened and for helping me find the answer to open this video."

Murasakbara lowered his head. He truly felt that Kuroko wasn't at fault but if Kuroko doesn't feel this way then what can he do? He's blaming himself for something he had no control over. It made the giant feel powerless; despite his size and power... he was powerless. Then an idea came to him, "What if Ruby-chin didn't want to be compatible with Kuro-chin? If he was then he wouldn't be able to touch and play with Kuro-chin."

Kuroko hesitated, looking down at the tablet in his lap. "I guess.. you're right but... I still don't think they should've went through all that.."

"Who?" Murasakibara tilted his head to the side.

"Akashi-kun and Ruby. They went through so much. It's unfair. I got a second chance at life, but they didn't." Kuroko explained.

Murasakibara hummed, "But Kuro-chin was still watched from afar. They wouldn't let you be free. Mine-chin and everyone else as well, it's just that Aka-chin was watched much more than the rest of us."

"I guess.. but still. You know no one deserves that." Kuroko sighed. "You're probably tired aren't you? You should get some sleep. Aomine-kun will probably try to wake you up for next shift."

Sensing that Kuroko was tired and needing some time alone, Murasakibara complied and stood up. He walked up to the door before turning around, "Maybe we can somehow charge the tablet~? To find out about Kuro-chin's pendant."

"Yeah. I hope there's a way." He didn't want to, but maybe they could somehow ask Eiji if there was a way. "Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Kuro-chin~" Murasakibara said before closing the door behind him, leaving Kuroko alone.

Kuroko watched the door for a few seconds before looking back down at the tablet. He knew his pendant was connected to the devices, but they could still do something even though the device has been destroyed? He needed to figure out what to do and how to charge the tablet so he could find out what his pendant does.

Kuroko was caught up in his thoughts as the night already began. It was dark outside and the moon was nowhere to be seen. Kuroko was looking at the tablet when suddenly he heard a loud thud on his window. He was startled, turning around instinctively to see a creature standing on the roof, looking at him through the window.

Hasn't this happened before? He didn't know how to react. Was it just a creature or... was Ruby around? Kuroko slowly got up and walked over to the window. He didn't see Ruby around which disappointed him. But why was there a creature here watching him? "...Is there a reason why you're here?" He asked quietly. He thought the creatures hated him for "betraying" Ruby.

The creature growled, making Kuroko step back. It was looking at him, giving him the look before turning and making circles in one place. When it was comfortable enough, it lay down in front of the window, its fur touching the window softly.

Kuroko hesitantly placed his hand on the window as if he was touching its fur, then sighed. It was hard to believe that this creature was just a baby that had been experimented on... No wonder why they couldn't make decisions for themselves. "If you ever return to Ruby, please tell him I'm sorry. And please also tell him that I remember." He didn't need to explain any more, not like he would since the creature growled again. Kuroko just returned to his bed and tried falling asleep for the night.

When Kuroko opened his eyes again, he was greeted by the morning sunlight. He sat up, stretching himself before looking over at the window. He sighed when he noticed that the creature was gone. It ran away because of the sun.

Kuroko stood up and stretched again but felt out of place. By now Akashi would have already come into his room to wake him up for training... Maybe he should train by himself just to not get rusty?

He got off the bed, stretching yet again with a yawn this time. It was either training by himself or with Aomine. Well, somebody at least but Aomine was probably the best choice.

He went downstairs, kind of relieved to see the scientist sleeping instead of doing harm. Aomine was on the couch, which was odd. Did he get switched out for the last shift? Or did he even switch out at all? It worried Kuroko but he couldn't ask Aomine now since the other was probably exhausted. So he went outside to train by himself.

Kuroko was training, running laps around the house but... it didn't feel right. It felt like he was being watched. He stopped a couple of times to look around but there was no one in sight. He went on with his training and when he was done, he walked up to the porch, turning around to look out again. Was he just paranoid?

Kuroko took a few moments, maybe even a minute to survey his surroundings. When he couldn't see anyone, he gave up and just went inside. He noticed that Eiji was finally awake and grimaced. Well, if he wanted to ask if there was anyway to charge the tablet, now's the time.

"Mornin Tetsu~" Aomine who was on the opposite couch greeted, but... he looked like a mummy.

"Did you get any sleep?" Kuroko asked with a sigh. "Learn to take turns with shifts okay?"

"That bastard Murasakibara didn't want to wake up!" Even though Aomine tried, there was no way to wake him up.

"You could have tried someone else." Kuroko said. "It's no good if you aren't rested you know."

Aomine grumbled, sighing before throwing himself back on the bed again. Since Kuroko was here now, he could afford to take a small nap.

"Be reminded that we will go soon." Kuroko said. For some reason he felt like a mother now. Or.. a leader. Actually now that Akashi was gone, they had to assign a temporary leader..

He looked over at Eiji. Leadership will have to wait. Right now he needed to know if there was any way to charge the tablet. "I have a question for you."

Eiji sat up, stretching, it seemed as if he had the best sleep of his life. "Anything for you Subject 11."

"Don't call me that. And I want to know if there's any way you can charge a piece of technology. Like a phone or whatever." Kuroko said.

"Charge?" Eiji narrowed his eyes, "It depends on what exactly you want to charge."

"Does it really matter? It's all the same isn't it?" Kuroko crossed his arms, looking down at Eiji.

"I didn't know your intelligence level was this low Kuroko-kun. Of course it matters, now tell me or I won't help you."

Kuroko took a deep breath. He swore, if this person indirectly called him stupid one more time... "It's just a tablet okay?"

"A tablet?" Eiji's eyes narrowed again, glaring at Kuroko with ill intent. "I'm sorry. I can't help you Kuroko-kun."

Well, at least he called him by his name for once. "Why not? The big time scientist can't think of any ways to charge a simple tablet?"

"Of course I can, however, I'm not willing to tell you. Our agreement stretches as far as finding Ignis, nothing else."

"Then I guess that means I don't have to protect you or feed you since we didn't agree to that. You can find your own food and a way of protecting yourself." Kuroko said, a little irritated Eiji couldn't help.

"Suit yourself. However, if I die, I wonder how you'll be able to find him. By some miracle perhaps?" Eiji smirked, liking Kuroko's irritated expression. "Now, would the tablet in question be the property of the Akashi Corporation?"

"No. It's mine." Kuroko said, hating the other's smirk. "It doesn't matter since you won't help anyway."

"Your answer and expression say it all. Thank you for informing me Kuroko-kun. I'll use that information well~" Eiji leaned on the couch while the others were going down the stairs. "Good morning Kuroko."

"Morning Kuro-chin~"

Kuroko glared at Eiji before looking at the others. "Yeah. Morning." It was not a good morning since this scientist already made him peeved. He turned to look at the two, well, mostly Midorima. Kise started coming down the stairs too as Kuroko walked over to Midorima. "Before we start packing and everything, I think we should have a meeting. To you know... decide who will take Akashi-kun's place until he comes back.." He whispered, nervous that Midorima would get angry at him suggesting for someone to replace Akashi.

However, unlike what Kuroko thought, the doctor nodded. "It would be wise to choose a new leader now than to have confusion later on as we travel." If they choose, now, it'll spare them the trouble later. Besides, they'll be more organized this way as well. "How should we do it?" Midorima asked.

"We could have everyone vote... but I'm afraid everyone would just vote for themselves." Kuroko sighed. "How did you all pick Akashi-kun? It was because he was smart and just... well, like a leader right?"

"No. We didn't vote. On the contrary we didn't even decide on a leader. It came naturally, and as soon as we knew it, we all began following him." Proving that Akashi was a born leader. "Don't worry Kuroko, I think you'll be surprised. Everybody will vote for who they think is the most suited."

"Okay. I guess we should hold votes then." Kuroko said. Who would he vote for? Maybe someone who could have a cool head unlike himself and someone who was responsible and could take care of themselves. That would probably most likely be Midorima.

"Wake up Mine-chin~" Murasakibara walked over to Aomine and began pocking him until he fell down from the couch. "Ow! What was that for!?"

"Sleeping in~" The giant said as he stood up, "Can we eat~?"

"Yeah. And we have something to discuss about during breakfast." Kuroko said to everyone, looking at everyone.

"What is it?" Kise asked but Kuroko shook his head. "During breakfast okay?"

"Let's go to the kitchen." Everyone obeyed and headed to the said room. Surprisingly Eiji didn't follow which was a relief to everyone. So he wasn't expecting to eat with them after all? This way they didn't have to share supplies so it was also good for them.

"What did you want to talk about~?" Murasakibara lazily asked as Midorima gave out the cans of food.

"Since Akashi-kun isn't here... we figured we need someone to lead us until we get him back. It would be best to have someone make the final decision should any split decisions need to be made." Kuroko explained. "And we were planning to just simply vote."

"Is it really necessary?" Aomine asked as Kise nodded in agreement.

"Maybe not but… what if the group is split on a decision? We'd need someone to make the final call. But someone who's responsible." Kuroko explained further.

Aomine and Kise weren't so sure but they weren't given a choice when Midorima gave them both a small piece of paper and a pen. "Write the name of the person you think would be the most suitable leader and then show it one by one."

"I know it might not feel right but it's just until we get Akashi-kun back." Kuroko assured but he knew they weren't convinced because even Kuroko wasn't convinced. It didn't feel right to replace Akashi this way but it would be easier if they did.

The kitchen became quiet as they all wrote down on the piece of paper. "Is everyone done?" Midorima asked, and they all nodded. "Alright, then I'll show mine first." Midorima tilted up his glasses before showing his paper to everyone which said 'Kuroko'.

Kuroko gave him a confused look. "Why me? I know nothing about leadership." He said while flipping his paper over which had said 'Midorima'. "You'd be more suited than me."

Midorima's brow rose, "Me?" Asking the same question Kuroko did. He crossed his arms in thought before answering, "I chose you because I think that you would be the most suited out of the group. I'm a doctor so I'm in charge of everyone's medical condition. I cannot be a leader as well, that way I wouldn't be able to focus on the members of the group and watch over them."

He tilted up his glasses, "I'm sure you know why I chose you." Of course if Aomine or Kise led them, they would be doomed. Not to mention that Murasakibara isn't even an option.

"...I don't know if I should feel honored or betrayed.." Kuroko said with a small deadpan. He looked at the group. "What about you guys?"

What they didn't expect was for all three of them to turn their papers, which said the name 'Akashi'. "It just… doesn't feel right to have anyone but Akashicchi as leader." Kise admitted.

"I couldn't write anything else. Sorry."

"Hmm~"

The three were all down. They knew they had to vote but somehow the idea didn't really fit well with them.

Kuroko looked over at Midorima then sighed. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. I guess we'll just have to try and handle the group with everyone as leader."

"So I'm a leader as well?" Aomine enthusiastically asked as he raised a spoonful of tuna to his mouth.

"This doesn't mean you have the right to sleep in or skip shifts or something." Kuroko insisted. "Be responsible with your own leadership's please.."

"Che~ Lame~" Aomine grumbled, raising another spoon up to his mouth. Everyone sighed but as their little voting ended, Eiji entered the kitchen. "It's about time we depart. You can conclude your little discussion in the vehicle."

Everyone was a bit bitter to see the other, even more so when he started bossing them. "Vehicle?" Kuroko questioned.

"Of course. Your van that Ignis found for you." Eiji gave them a look, "Could it be that you've forgotten about your own transportation? I really pity you Kuroko-kun. Need I remind you what is the colour of your underwear?" Eiji asked but soon Aomine and Kise began giggling.

"I don't have time for your childish games. I'll go first." And so Eiji left, going to the van.

Kuroko didn't say anything afterwards but he did glare at the two giggling. He was really getting tired of Eiji indirectly calling him an idiot. He wished he could return the favor, but it would have to wait... "I'm going to go pack." He huffed, standing up from the table.

"We should as well." Midorima stood up and so did everyone else. Aomine and Kise apologized although Kuroko couldn't forgive them that easily. They were all ready to go, their food packed, other supplies and of course their weapons as well. They all went to the garage where the van was parked to see that the lights were on and Eiji inside, in the driver's seat.

"...I'm not letting him drive." They may have an agreement, but Eiji was not apart of the group so therefore, no one could trust him to drive. Kuroko looked over at Murasakibara. "Are you willing to drive again?"

The giant nodded and went over to Eiji who moved without complaints, surprising the others who thought he would protest. The group watched him closely as they loaded the van up and opened the garage. The van's engine slowly started as they sped off.

Kuroko watched Eiji closely. He just couldn't help it. The other kept being rude to him and it was suspicious how he wasn't bothered by anything. "Just so you know, I didn't forget about the van. I just forgot you knew since you stalked us." He grumbled.

Eiji smirked, "I see. Although I fail to understand how it proves you're any smarter. You knew I did yet you forgot; it's all the same. I do wonder sometimes how you've survived up until now but I come to the same conclusion every time I think about it. The only reason you're alive is because of Ignis, otherwise you would have already died with that low IQ of yours."

"If you keep talking like that, I don't care if it'll make finding Akashi-kun harder, but I will kick you out of this van and leave you behind. We can find him on our own." Kuroko had tried not letting it bother him but Eiji was already someone who made him angry just by looking at him, it just made him even madder when he was insulted.

"Your selfish side is showing again Kuroko-kun. If I were you I would sit back and think about everything clearly, but then again that might not be useful for you at all."

He knew it would be best to sit back and calm down, but Kuroko just wanted to do the opposite. He didn't want to listen to the other and do as he said. He hated this man for hurting his friends and Akashi and Ruby. He hated him and his brother. "I hope your brother really is dead." It would be assumed he's dead since Eiji didn't suggest looking for him or even bring him up.

Eiji flinched, not moving and not saying anything either. It took a while for him to reply but when he did, he spoke in a deep voice, "If he is then he will rest in peace, unlike your parents. They must be rolling in their graves, ashamed of what their son had become. Do they even see you as their child? or are you just one of the many subjects?"

Kuroko couldn't stop himself from moving but he did manage to stop himself from straight up slamming his fist into the others face. His fist was just inches away but it didn't hit at all. He took a deep breath, shaking slightly as he pulled his hand back. "I would wish not to speak about my parents." He said simply, stepping away from Eiji.

"Very well. Do us both a favour and sit down. You're making your own group uneasy with your actions." Eiji said, leaning on his chair. He was sitting next to Murasakibara, giving him instructions on where to drive.

For once Kuroko did listen and sit down beside Midorima. He was honestly a bit startled with himself. He never got that angry before over something so small. He got angry before at Imayoshi since he was threatening his parents and the group, but this was just useless bickering... He held the hand that almost hit Eiji, just feeling his heart pound from adrenaline. Or maybe it was fear. Excitement? Maybe all of them.

"Are you alright Kuroko? Hurting anywhere?" Midorima asked in concern, since he was the doctor of the group it didn't hurt to ask just in case.

"...I'm fine just.. please don't let me lose my temper like that again." Kuroko asked, looking down with shame. That's why he shouldn't be leader.

"Eiji is a manipulative man. He knows what strings to pull and is very skilled at it." Midorima placed his hand on Kuroko's shoulder, "It's normal for you to be this way when a sensitive topic is touched. I doubt I would react any differently."

"It could endanger the group though. It could endanger Akashi-kun or Ruby.." It hurts mentioning those names at a time like this. He just wanted both of them around, to tell Akashi he was loved and wanted and to tell Ruby he was sorry and that he finally remembered. Never before had he wanted to see and be with anyone this badly. "Being away from them.. it hurts Midorima-kun.." But this was the only kind of hurt a doctor couldn't fix.

"I can't fix that pain but I can say that somewhere out there Akashi can feel it." Or should he say, what was it again? Ruby? "We're all connected because we care about each other, we're a family. Believe it or not but Oha Asa mentions strings of fate many times. We're connected, whether we like it or not." Midorima reached out to ruffle through his pocket.

He took out a small picture and gave it to Kuroko. When the bluenette saw it, his eyes widened. It was a picture of the whole group! And Akashi as well! The redhead stood on the left side, smiling while Aomine hit Kise on the head with a snowball, the exact moment of impact was caught by the camera. Murasakibara was standing behind them due to his size, looking down at Akashi while Midorima stood on the right side, tilting up his glasses.

Kuroko noticed that everyone was younger and much happier than they are today. The photo may have been taken when the experiments took place, but they still looked happy together.

Midrima smiled, looking at the photo with Kuroko, "You can have it. Aquarius lucky item today is a photo."

"..Thank you Midorima-kun.." Kuroko kept himself from crying at the sight of Akashi, even if it was just a picture. He was crying a lot wasn't he? He slightly leaned on Midorima, just staring at the picture. "S-Sorry but.. I know it's uncomfortable.. but.. can we just stay like this for a second?" He didn't feel like moving. He just wanted to do nothing while looking at the picture.

Midorima smiled warmly, "Of course." He said as he let Kuroko lean on him while looking at the picture. Even if he couldn't heal Kuroko's pain, he could do something to try to soothe it.

Kuroko felt so lucky to have such an understanding friend. So was it really true that they all loved him? "..I-I don't mean it in the way I like Akashi-kun but... what Aomine-kun said a few days ago.. do you guys really love me?" He nervously asked, looking up at Midorima.

The doctor was a bit surprised by the question. So Kuroko didn't understand yet? Could it be that he's much more dense than Midorima thought? The green head sighed, "Yes."

Kuroko still wasn't fully convinced but he just nodded. He just couldn't believe someone could love him... He just stayed quiet, leaning on Midorima while looking at the photo. He didn't even realize the car stopped moving until Murasakibara spoke up. "It's someone we know." He said which confused Kuroko greatly. Who? Akashi? He got up quickly and went to the front of the van to look out. It was... Furihata! And he was holding Nigou! He forgot all about Nigou!

"What do we do?" Aomine asked when he saw Furihata standing in front of the van. "It may be a trap."

"Maybe." Kuroko said and sighed. He moved away and went towards the door of the van. "I'll go talk with him. No one come out in case it's a trap."

Midorima quickly grabbed Kuroko's hand, "You can't go alone Kuroko."

"I can. And I will. I don't want any of you hurt." Kuroko insisted. "Look, I'll be fine okay?"

Although Kuroko said that, Midorima wasn't letting go. "You still don't get it Tetsu? We don't want you going out there just as much as you don't want us to! Whatever we do, we do it together."

"It won't matter if we all get hurt or killed." Kuroko said with a frown. "It's fine if it's just one of us."

Aomine raised a brow before walking over to the door, "I'll go then."

Kuroko blinked in surprise before pulling his arm away from Midorima and went to Aomine, moving in front of him. "Aomine-kun, you don't have to go!" Aomine really was so stubborn. "...Why don't we both go then? So if anything happens, we have each other's back and no one else will get hurt."

"So it's not okay if I go alone but its fine if you do?" Aomine asked, getting his point across.

"Well it's.. if we lost you, the group would lose strength... things would be no different power or skill wise if something happened to me." Kuroko tried to explain but he knew it wouldn't work. "Let's just both go out together then."

Aomine grumbled, "Yeah, right~" He quickly opened the door and went out, closing it behind himself and placing a wide wire he found on the floor on the door so that Kuroko couldn't come out. The tanned teen ignored Kuroko's attempts of begging to go out as he walked over to Furihata. "Yo~ What are you doing here?"

Furihata was still holding Nigou who was squirming and barking, probably because he smelled something. Kuroko to be exact. "I-I saw the car and.. I came to see what was going on and.. I recognized the car from before, when you guys let me stay in the house overnight.."

"Where is your group? Are they around?" Aomine warily glanced around, trying to see if anyone was watching them from afar.

Furihata got quiet as he looked down at his feet. "I don't.. know where they're at.. I haven't seen any of them since the avalanche.."

"Since the avalanche? You mean that you didn't find them yet?" Could it be that they're...

Furihata shook his head and held Nigou tightly. "And it's not a trick like last time.. I honestly haven't found them and.. it's been days.."

Aomine noticed the worried expression on the other's face but then again you can never be sure. He looked around again in wary but didn't see anyone around. Was he telling the truth? Judging by his behavior and expression, he must be. Aomine walked over to Furihata, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Then come with us. Just like last time, ehem... but don't worry, this time we won't tie you up or anything."

"Is that really.. Okay?" Furihata asked, looking up at the other. "What about the other's? What do they think?" Especially that redhead... actually he found it strange that Aomine came out to talk instead of Akashi.

"They're fine with it. They know you already so I don't think there'll be a problem." Aomine took Furihata's hand and headed for the door which Kuroko was hitting. "Stop it Tetsu! Geez~ Calm down already!"

Aomine turned to Furihata, "See? If you listen to him, you'll go crazy. Stick with me and you'll be fine." Aomine took off the wire so that he could open the door again.

Kuroko did not look happy when Aomine opened the door. "You could have been hurt." He mumbled, crossing his arms. However he did brighten up a little when he saw Nigou who got excited when he saw Kuroko. Furihata walked closer so Nigou could hop into Kuroko's arms.

"Looks like he missed you." Aomine smiled after seeing the puppy wiggle its tail and lick Kuroko's face ferociously with no pauses.

"Don't think I'll forgot about what you did." Kuroko pouted towards Aomine before walking further into the van with Nigou in his arms. Aomine and Furihata went inside and the brunette looked around immediately. He didn't see the redhead anywhere but he did see an old man in the front. "...What happened to the red haired guy..?"

Everyone lowered their heads, hesitant to answer which confused the ex-prisoner. Furihata awaited an answer but soon he was covered by a large shadow. He looked up to see the giant standing before him, "I'll crush you."

"I-I'm sorry!" Furihata didn't know what he said to anger the giant, but he didn't want to be crushed. "I-I was just curious!"

Not content, Murasakibara grabbed Furihata's shirt and raised him up, his feet not touching the ground anymore. "Traitors and spies should be crushed~"

"I-I didn't want to before. They t-told me it was for the good of the group!" Furihata insisted, fear filling him when he couldn't feel the ground under him.

"Murasakibara-kun! Don't be too rough." After all, he's done the same but he didn't get this kind of treatment. It wasn't fair.

Murasakibara hissed before placing Furihata down, although it was anything but gentle. He gave him a look, frightening the brunette further. "You can't blame Murasakibara for being wary. He did betray us." Midorima spoke up.

"Yeah but he said that he couldn't find his friends. He couldn't find them after the avalanche." Aomine revealed.

"Since the avalanche?" That was a few days ago... Furihata nodded, confirming it. Kuroko sighed as he tried to think of what to do. They weren't going to kick him out obviously. He'd die on his own. "We're keeping him, no questions asked. But we just have to be on guard in case it really is a trick." Kuroko didn't think so, but you could never be too sure.

"Are you our leader now Tetsu? Not a shred of diplomacy?" Couldn't they at least vote or something?

"Well do you want to kick him out?" Kuroko asked. "He'll die by himself."

"At least we should decide on that together! What's up with you anyway!" Kuroko hasn't been acting himself in a while, always going in solo and not trusting the group with anything. As if they were just luggage he has to keep safe and carry around, and Aomine refuses to be that.

"I'm making sure we don't lose anyone else! I'm tired of seeing people die in front of me or leave!" Kuroko said. "We were trying to stop the apocalypse to save everyone, so what's the point if we kill them ourselves?"

"But why can't you understand that we feel the same way!? We don't want anyone to die! Including you! Why do you always have to put yourself in danger? Or could it be that you don't trust us enough to protect ourselves and you?" Aomine slightly raised his voice, "We're just little dolls you have to protect! We're powerless by ourselves so we need you to protect us right? Even though its us who have the weapons, you still try to be the tough guy."

"I don't see it like that, but what's wrong with trying to protect you all?!" Kuroko said back, his voice raising as well. "I don't see you as powerless! I just want to help for once!"

"L-Let's try calming down guys." Kise said, trying to step in between the two. "We don't really need to fight now right?"

"You've always helped but now you're trying to push us away completely! I keep saying it over and over again, why can't you trust us damn it!" Aomine ignored the blonde, too heated up in the moment to care.

"Guys please!" Kise tried insisted again but they wouldn't listen.

"I trust you guys but that doesn't mean I'm just going to let you do anything that would throw you into danger!" Kuroko argued. "I'm not losing anyone else that I love! Even if it means putting myself in danger! I don't care if I get hurt, as long as everyone else lives!"

Aomine hit the side of the van with his fist, "But we feel the same way! And that's exactly what I'm trying to get across here! We don't want you as well as any of us to die! Don't you understand that?"

"I understand, but I'm the person who has the least amount of value. If I die, that's it. If you really do love me, you'll just be feeling hurt. But it's not like the group will lose strength!" Kuroko said.

Aomine clenched his fists, his head low. "Hurt?" He muttered before looking up at the other, and it was then that Kuroko saw the scariest glare Aomine ever made. "So selfish." He hissed in a low tone before bursting out the door, walking away.

"Where are you going Aomine!?" Midorima and the rest were startled when the other suddenly left.

"Aominicchi!" Kise was the only one who went after Aomine. Kuroko would've if he hadn't been in sudden deep thought. Selfish? That's right, he was selfish. He of all people knew it didn't just hurt when someone was gone, dead or alive. Why did he say that?

"Are you okay Kuroko?" Midorima turned to the bluenette in worry, they were all more than startled by what just happened.

"I don't.. I don't know anymore.." Kuroko said quietly, one of his hands going to hold his head. "I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to say any of that."

"It's alright Kuroko, don't worry about it. Why don't you lay down for a bit?" Midorima guided Kuroko to the bed he used to sleep on with Akashi. Meanwhile, Eiji chuckled in amusement, watching the theatre unfold before him.

"Sorry for.. causing a big commotion." Kuroko kept apologising even as he laid down. "Can you please make sure Kise-kun and Aomine-kuj come back?"

"Don't worry Kuroko, they'll come back safe and sound. Just lay down and rest for a bit." Midorima helped Kuroko lay down, covering him with a blanket. Murasakibara went to sit on a chair since they couldn't leave, Eiji as still sitting in the same spot and Furihata was uneasy. He felt guilty for being the cause for argument but he knew that it would be better to ask questions later. Meanwhile...

Aomine ran as fast as he could, not looking back. He ran and ran and when he finally reached a small hill, he stopped. Throwing himself down on the ground, panting from the running he did just now.

Kise had followed Aomine although he wasn't as fast. He finally made it to Aomine, panting heavily. "Aominicchi.. Don't run anymore.." He panted out.

The other sighed, "I'm laying down ain't I?" He managed to say in between his pants.

Kise sat down next to him and sighed. "Were you really that mad..?" He asked.

"Yeah." His panting calmed down as he lay down and stared up at the blue sky.

Kise watched him before looking up as well. "I'm sure he didn't mean what he said... did you?"

"I meant every single word" Aomine looked up at the sky but somehow it irritated him, "It's cruel. Even though we're struggling to survive amongst man eating monsters the sky still looks the same as it did back then. Exactly the same."

"Yeah but… at least we can still have sun, snow and rain." Kise said. "Like, it's not dark all the time.."

"That's what I said idiot!" Aomine deadpanned, turning to the side so that his back faces Kise. "Geez..."

"No I was saying.. it's a good thing you now?" Kise sighed. He looked over at Aomine. "I'm worried though.. you guys have been fighting more recently.."

"Yeah... It's just that ever since Akashi disappeared, we've all had to come to terms with it. It's hard and especially for Tetsu and his pans but... why can't he understand that we feel the same way? I'm worried as well and I care about everyone as much. Doesn't he see that?"

"I don't know. Everything's so… different with Akashicchi gone. I guess people change when they're scared." Kise suggested.

"Scared? He just doesn't think about us and our feelings at all. That's what I think."

"Well.. He might not think about how we feel but it's not like he doesn't think about us at all. He doesn't want us hurt.." Kise said.

"But I don't want him hurt either! Why can't we just work together instead of him acting as a big tough hero who's trying to save us all? He'll get himself killed like that."

"True." Kise laid down and looked back at the sky. "I wish we could all work together.. but fighting won't help change his view. I guess we just have to all pitch in."

"Yeah... I wish Akashi was here to help smack some sense into him. Then he would listen."

"I guess love changes people." Kise of all people would know.

Aomine didn't say anything but thought to himself and he couldn't help but agree. Not only because Kuroko did change but also how Kise changed as well. Love is really scary.

Aomine finally sat up, "Sorry for running off like that. I'm holding up everyone else."

"They understand. It's okay. Sometimes we just need to blow off steam." Kise assured, sitting up with Aomine before standing. "Let's go back though."

"Yeah." Aomine stood up and they both headed back to the van. When they arrived, they noticed Midorima who gave them a look and then Kuroko who was sleeping in the bed. Aomine sighed in relief, glad that he feel asleep because he wasn't ready to face the bluenette just yet.

Without further words, the group closed the door and started up the engine again. Now they could continue their journey.

When Kuroko finally woke up, he wasn't in the van... He wasn't even anywhere close to the mountain or in the forest beside it. He was... back in Tokyo. Before everything went wrong. Why was he back here? How did everything turn back to normal? And why... was he dressed up?

He looked down at his clothing with confusion. It wasn't as if he was wearing a million dollar suit, but he was dressed up a bit nicer and fancier than the usual casual clothing he preferred. So he was back home and he was dressed up... For what reason?

He was standing on a busy Tokyo street with many people going in all directions. How did he end up here? Did he time travel? What was happening? Kuroko turned around but then his eyes widened when he saw a familiar redhead walking amongst the crowd. The said person noticed him and smiled, walking up to him. "You're early. That excited to see me?"

Kuroko stared at the other before suddenly moving closer for the last few steps, practically tackling the other in a hug. "Y-You're back.. Akashi-kun.." He clung to him tightly, feeling his eyes water from relief and happiness.

The redhead was startled but let Kuroko cling to him, although he was surprised by how tightly he hugged him and by the sobbing he heard. Akashi smiled, returning the gesture but much gentler. "Did you miss me this much? What happened?"

"You.. you left and.. I thought you'd never come back." Kuroko whimpered, not letting Akashi go. He was afraid that if he did, the other would disappear again.

Akashi raised his brow, stroking Kuroko's hair to calm him down, "I'm here Kuroko. You probably had a nightmare. I'm always here by your side. I promise."

Kuroko finally looked up at the other. He promised to always be by his side? "Okay.. Okay." He mumbled, pulling away slightly. It was then that he realized Akashi was dressed up too. "...Why are you dressed up?"

"Why?" Again another surprise, "Why wouldn't I dress up for our date?" Akashi noticed that Kuroko was surprised, "You don't like it?"

The word "date" kept repeating in his mind. Date... his first date ever. And it was with Akashi. In Tokyo. Before the apocalypse...

"N-No no! Its fine, I like it!" He said quickly to assure the other. "Sorry, I was just in my own little world.."

But Akashi wasn't convinced, raising his hands to cup the other's face, "If there's anything troubling you, you know you can tell me. I'll do everything I can to help you." He brushed off some tears that were on Kuroko's cheeks, "So do I get a kiss?"

Kuroko couldn't believe this. He really was dating Akashi... He nodded, immediately leaning up to softly kiss the other on the lips. Finally he could kiss Akashi not to keep Ruby at bay, but because they both share the same feelings.

Akashi smiled, embracing the other tightly. "You're the only one for me. The love of my life. I love you Kuroko."

"I love you too Akashi-kun." It made his heart flutter to finally admit that out loud with Akashi doing the same. "You said we were going on a date? Let's do it then. I'm so excited."

"I'm glad to hear that." Akashi let the other go but not for long before he took his hand into his. "Let's go."

Kuroko was excited but sadly the scene suddenly changed on him and he was at his house... with his parents. He had mixed feelings about them. He didn't know if he should see them as traitors or people who cared for him. He didn't know what to think or do... It was quiet but he didn't know what to say. Should he just stay quiet and hope this scene ends? Or should he say something?

Luckily the bell rang which surprised them all. Kuroko was the first to get up to go to the door. No matter what it is, he was thankful it saved him from that awkward silence.

"Could you please get the door Tetsuya?" His mother asked him politely but Kuroko was already up and next to the door. When he opened them, he saw Akashi with... flowers? "For you." Akashi teasingly kneeled down on one leg, raising the huge bouquet of flowers up to his lover.

"O-Oh.." Kuroko looked at the flowers with shock before slowly taking them. "T-Thank you.. They're beautiful." His cheeks started heating up, embarrassed that Akashi made this surprise appearance and even brought a gift.

Akashi smiled before standing up, but as he did, Kuroko's parents emerged from the kitchen. "Oh! Seijuro came! Here to visit Tetsuya again? And you brought flowers? My! What a gentleman!" Kuroko's mother said as she placed both of her hands on Kuroko's shoulders.

"Good evening Mrs. Kuroko. How are you?" Akashi smiled and slightly bowed.

"Great now that you're here. Tetsuya told us about the date you had today. Isn't it about time you invite the old folks as well?" She teased, earning a sigh from her husband.

"Don't bother the kids too much Haruka."

"But I can't help myself. Tetsuya has found himself a fine man! You wouldn't mind if we share, do you son?" Haruka began ruffling her son's hair, while Akashi watched with a smile.

"My father sends his regards. In fact he's happy to invite you all to dinner."

The only one who was confused and awkward during the whole interaction was Kuroko. Why did they sound like a normal family that was happy about their normal son having a normal lover? Nothing about this was normal for Kuroko. It was strange, seeing his parents act so kind and Akashi's father inviting them to dinner.

"I.. can't wait then." Kuroko said with a tiny, nervous smile. "I'm going to go put these in my room I guess.. would you like to come Akashi-kun?" The others may be acting weird but he still wanted Akashi close.

"Of course." Akashi began taking his shoes off as Haruka pouted, "Alright then, you boys be careful. Would you like some cookies? I can bring them up to you. In fact, I'll come up in a bit." She smiled, excitedly storming off into the kitchen. "Ah! And if I hear you boys again, there will be great consequences. Remember that you're still too young for that kind of adult play." Kuroko didn't know why but his cheeks heated up again.

"I apologize Mrs. Kuroko, we'll make sure to keep our heated session down." Akashi teasingly looked over at Kuroko while his father sighed. "Don't go too rough on him Seijuro. He's still inexperienced." Kuroko's father said as he went to return to his couch, however, before that he stopped and looked back at them, "Send my regards to your mother and father. Tell them we'll be more than happy to join them for a dinner."

"Understood."

They actually tried to do something like... "that" before?! Kuroko felt his cheeks heat up even more. He couldn't believe it. "L-Let's go Akashi-kun." He took the other's hand and dragged him up to his room. "U-Um.." He started speaking once he closed the door. "Thanks for the flowers and.. Date and everything.."

The redhead smirked, walking up to his lover to brush his cheek. "You're red again. Is it because you remembered what we did last night?" He leaned in closer, "We could do it again if you so wish~"

Kuroko stared with surprise again, clueless on how to respond. They.. did that last night..? "B-But.. my parents are here.."

Akashi raised his brow, "It didn't bother you before. Besides, your parents already heard your moans loud and clear~"

They already heard? Well, that's embarrassing to know... But then again, it shouldn't matter since this is what he's wanted to do. To be close with Akashi, to have them love each other and even prove it. "Okay.. I suppose you're right." Kuroko smiled. "I wouldn't.. mind doing it a-again.."

"Does that mean you're surrendering willingly?" Akashi teasingly asked as his hand sneaked in under Kuroko's shirt.

Kuroko shyly nodded, biting his lip as he felt the teasing touches against his skin. "Akashi-kun..."

Since Kuroko willingly surrendered himself, there was nothing to stop the redhead and his advances. Akashi pushed the other gently closer to the bed as he began taking off his shirt. When the shirt was off, Akashi began touching the bare body that was exposed, giving Kuroko pleasure just from the soft touch.

Soon enough Kuroko found himself on the bed, pushed gently by Akashi who got on it with him. Kuroko laid down while Akashi hovered above him. The redhead captured the other into a gentle yet passionate kiss as his hands roamed Kuroko's chest, teasing the two pink buds.

Kuroko was getting warmer and warmer; his body reacting in ways he didn't know was possible. He's about to lose his virginity to the person he loves. Well, apparently he lost it already but it doesn't count if you don't remember right? He wanted to savour every moment of these touches. The feeling of being loved and wanted, the gentle touches themselves told the story and it lit up a flame in Kuroko's heart.

More... More... He wants more... Kuroko closed his eyes as the warmth enveloped him. However, when he opened his eyes again he was shocked to see that he was laying down in bed... covered with a blanket with Akashi next to him, embracing the bluenette gently. What...? What happened? Where did the warmth go?

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko questioned, looking at the other. Did he miss... No, he missed it didn't he?! He sighed, laying his head back.

"Hmmm~" The other hummed but then Kuroko noticed something else. They were both topless! "What is it Kuroko?"

"Nothing.. I'm just a little amazed.. what did we just do?" He asked softly, trying not to seem suspicious.

"We just rode the waves of pleasure~" Akashi tiredly hummed, "You're as amazing as ever." But then again, "Why are you asking?"

"Like I said earlier, I'm just in my own little world." He pouted. He couldn't believe he missed such a special moment! "Well, I'm glad I'm amazing enough for Akashi-kun."

"As I said before, you're the only one for me." He opened his tired eyes to look at his lover, sneaking his hand under the blanket and on top of Kuroko's pants, "Perhaps a round 2 would be enough for you to come back from your little world."

Kuroko felt his cheeks heating up again at the suggestion. "Yes, I would like that very much." He said. However they were interrupted by a knock. Kuroko thought it was his mother but when the door opened, it revealed another Akashi. No, it was Ruby!

"What are you doing without my permission Tetsuya?" Ruby crossed his arms, giving Kuroko a look. This Ruby looked just like Akashi, the only difference being the two golden eyes and black horns on the head.

"U-Um.." Kuroko didn't know how to respond since he didn't know what his relationship with Ruby was. "I'm just.. laying with Akashi-kun.."

"And why is that? Shouldn't you be with me instead?" He paced to the bed, taking Kuroko's hand in his before he sniffed the air, "Did you have intercourse? Again Tetsuya?"

"I-I.. yes?" Kuroko wasn't sure if it was technically a yes since he didn't remember ever doing it. "B-Be with you?" He asked with surprise.

Ruby sighed before pulling up the blanket and getting under it as well. Now the bluenette was sandwiched between the two redheads. "You can't have both Tetsuya. You have to choose one. I don't know why it's so difficult for you since it's an easy choice." Ruby gave Akashi a look. "Of course he'll stay with me. We have a much stronger bond." Akashi said, taking Kuroko's other hand while Ruby held the other.

"Just because you had intercourse doesn't mean your bond is stronger. Our bond surpasses even that." Ruby triumphantly smirked.

"Nothing exists beyond that. Our bodies became one and we share the fiery passion for each other. What could possibly overcome that?" Both Akashi and Ruby exchanged glares.

Kuroko looked between both of them, wondering what to say or do. Yes he liked both of them but he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings... "W-Why don't we just.. all share each other?" He suggested nervously. "There are relationships like that.."

"Share?" They both rolled out their tongue in disgust. "I'll never share you with him. Tetsuya is mine only." Ruby pulled on the hand he held.

"No, he's mine. We're in an official relationship." And Akashi pulled as well.

"W-What's wrong with sharing? We'd all be happy then.." Kuroko said, trying to get them to agree. "Please.. I don't want to choose and hurt anyone's feelings.."

Both of the redheads listened, looking at each other in confusion. However, then they both got an idea, smirking at each other before turning to the bluenette, "You're so greedy Tetsuya~" Ruby leaned in closer and intervened his legs with Kuroko's. Akashi did the same, however, since he was topless as well, it had a bigger impact once he got close. "Perhaps this is what you were aiming for all along?"

"We don't mind playing with you if that's what you want Tetsuya." Both Akashi and Ruby moved, their hands touching Kuroko's bare chest, slowly trailing down to the pants, unbuttoning the first button.

Kuroko felt his face heat up and his heart beat faster. He was going to have both of them at the same time? Was that possible? But at least they didn't seem to mind which kind of excited Kuroko. 'Please don't let me forget this time', Kuroko thought to himself.

But as Kuroko closed his eyes, something didn't feel right. A loud thunder made him suddenly open his eyes again and when he did, he noticed that the room was darker but also colder. He tried to move but then noticed Ruby holding a pocketknife and Akashi on the other side, holding his gun. They were both smiling as they pointed their weapons towards the bluenette.

"We'll give you pleasure dear Tetsuya~"

"One you'll never forget~"

Kuroko's heart started pumping again, but it wasn't from excitement. It was from fear. "N-No that.. that's alright.." He said nervously, wanting to get away from the weapons. "W-Where did you get those weapons..?"

"That doesn't matter, all that does matter is that we're all here together~"

"Together at last with our dear Tetsuya. Although I must say that I'm disappointed. Such a greedy human you are love~ Just like all humans~"

"The disgusting humans."

Both Akashi and Ruby sat up, hovering above Kuroko while taking off the blanket to reveal his topless body, pointing their weapons at his chest.

"Your life is in our hands now. Choose your words wisely."

"P-Please.." Kuroko had no idea what to say. "Really.. there's no need to have those weapons out.."

"Begging wont save you Tetsuya."

"All you've done so far is only to prove our point, which is that you're selfish." Akashi said.

"And it's that very selfishness that shows what you really are." Ruby finished.

"No.. it wasn't just me.." Kuroko tried to insist. "I didn't want either of your feelings hurt.."

"You're but a child Tetsuya. Everyone knows that you cannot have both, its either one or the other. If you let one go then they begin the process of recovering emotionally before moving on with their life. However, since you can't decide, you're keeping everyone on hold up, letting them keep the foolish fantasy that one day they'll have a future with you."

Akashi leaned in, "What you're doing is torturing that person."

"I don't mean to.. I don't mean to torture them." Kuroko said. "Please believe me. I didn't mean to hurt anyone!"

Ruby leaned in as well, "You did it unconsciously, and that's what's truly frightening."

"People who mean good but instead do harm are truly monsters."

"N-No, that's not true. Look, I didn't mean to hurt anyone!" Kuroko kept insisting. "Please, you have to believe me!" Don't they love him?

"We know that but in the end you did."

They both leaned in, smirking before saying in unison, "And that's why you're unwanted."

"I-I.. what?" Kuroko was shocked with the sudden statement. "But don't you both.. love me?"

"No. On the contrary we think you're annoying. Always blabbering on about love, about such a meaningless concept~ You'll never achieve anything with love, so be wise and throw it away."

"But I can't help it!" You can't choose who you fall in love with either. "I..I love you both. But it's.. different. I love Akashi-kun but I also love Ruby.. But I loved Ruby like I loved Ogiwara-kun.." It was so hard to explain.

Ruby narrowed his eyes before grabbing Kuroko's shirt and slightly picking him up, "What are you saying Tetsuya?"

See, this is what Kuroko was afraid of. Hurting someone's feelings. "I-I still love you! But my love for you is different than Akashi-kun's! I'd do anything for you, but it's just.. different. I don't know how to explain, I swear!"

Another thunder struck outside of the house, lighting up the room with its light. Slowly the light disappeared and Ruby's eyes began to glow golden yellow. However, when Kuroko blinked, suddenly Akashi disappeared and in his place stood another Ruby. There were two of them now?

Two Rubys hovered above the bluenette, still pointing their weapons at him. "Disgusting human." Ruby said in pure venom as the gun was fired and the knife dropped down onto the bluenette.

Kuroko cried out but it wasn't in the dream. It was in real life. He's finally woken up. At first he was confused at where he was, what time it was, what day it was, everything. All he knew was that he was sweaty, his head hurt bad, and he was crying. He desperately wiped at his eyes, trying to get the tears to stop. He's been crying too much lately and has been acting like a complete child. He couldn't keep this up and have the group hate him. He couldn't have the group tell him he's unwanted…

"Are you okay Tetsu?" Aomine who was next to Kuroko was startled when the other suddenly screamed while waking up. Actually, everyone did in this small van. There was no privacy in here whatsoever.

Kuroko looked over at Aomine before remembering their argument. He sat up quickly which made him more dizzy than before. "Aomine-kun, I'm s-sorry!" Aomine had actually came back after running away after their argument? Did that mean he really did care? "Please, don't leave again! Don't leave me please, I'm sorry I yelled at you and became bossy. Please, please.." It feels like that's all he could do lately. Beg, apologize, and cry.

"Whoa! Calm down Tetsu. Did you have a nightmare?" The tanned teen placed his hands on Kuroko's shoulders, "It's okay. I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for yelling at you and running away like that. I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry."

"Y-You don't need to apologize.. It's my fault.. all my fault.." Kuroko kept repeating, one of his hands holding his head again. It was really hurting and now it was starting to feel warm in the van, which was making him uncomfortable. His face felt hot especially. "I don't.. don't feel very.. good.."

"What's wrong Tetsu?" Aomine instinctively touched Kuroko's forehead which he noticed the bluenette was holding itself but when he did he noticed that he was burning hot!

"Doc! Tetsu has a fever! A big one at that!" Aomine yelled, Midorima quickly standing up. The doctor of the group sat on the edge of the bed, checking Kuroko's forehead and confirmed it was really true. "This will be a problem. We don't have any antibiotics for a fever."

"Then what do we do?"

Midorima began ruffling through his bag, "Luckily we have aspirin which will do the job. Lay down Kuroko." And Kuroko did as instructed as Midorima and Aomine covered him with a blanket. "Someone give me water, just enough for Kuroko to swallow the pill."

As Kise quickly got the water for Midorima, Kuroko actually struggled just to remove the blanket. "Too hot.." He mumbled, looking up at Midorima before looking around. "I can't lie.. down.. I need to train with Akashi-kun.. Train every morning." But it wasn't even morning. It seems that Kuroko has no recollection of what he's saying.

"This is even worse than I thought."

"Training? There's no training Tetsu! Not when you're hallucinating and sick!" Aomine tried to reason as Kise gave Midorima the pill. They made Kuroko sit up for him to swallow the medicine. "Swallow this Kuroko. It'll help."

"I'm not sick!" Kuroko frowned, looking at the pill. "No, I don't want it!"

"Kurokocchi, it'll make you feel better!" Kise tried to insist but Kuroko just turned his head away.

"Please take it Tetsu. You're seriously sick." Aomine pleaded.

"What's in it for me?" Kuroko crossed his arms, refusing to even look in the direction of the pill.

"You'll feel better for starters."

"The pill is small, you can swallow it in one go."

"...Does it taste bad..?" Kuroko asked, glancing at the pill. "Will it taste like the awful grape medicine?"

Aomine thought hard, remembering a fast food restaurant he used to eat at often, "It tastes just like a vanilla milkshake. Do you like that?"

Kuroko's eyes widened a little at the mention of his favorite drink. "Yes.. can I have a milkshake now?"

"Yeah here it is." Aomine took the pill from Midorima, "This tastes just like it. Here's some water to drink it up too." He gave him the water and the pill.

Kuroko didn't understand why he needed the water but he just went along with it. He was getting a milkshake, so why should he care? He took the pill and washed it down with a little water. He was disappointed when he didn't taste the vanilla. "It didn't work.. I can't taste milkshake.."

"Really? Damn, sorry Tetsu I thought it would taste the same." Aomine played along, "How about you lay down and we'll go find you the real one?"

"It's okay.. not your fault.." Kuroko mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly like a little kid. He nodded and laid down with no problems this time. "You won't leave forever.. right?"

Everybody smiled; it was surprising to see this side of Kuroko as well. "No, we'll always stay with you."

Kuroko closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking a few deep breaths. "I.. love you all.." He mumbled. "Where's Akashi-kun.. and Ogiwara-kun..?"

Everyone lowered their heads by the mention of those names, "They'll be back soon so don't worry. The sooner you lay down and sleep, the sooner they'll come back."

"Where did they go?" Kuroko asked. "I want to see them.. I want to.." For some reason it suddenly hurt as he thought about those two but he didn't know why. "Hurts.. here.." He mumbled, placing a hand above his heart.

Aomine raised a brow, "O-Okay." He quickly moved to Midorima and whispered, "Oi doc, this is nuts! When will he return to normal?"

"He'll need to sleep this off." In other words if they don't get him to lay back down, he'll run rampage in the state he's in.

"Midorima-kun.. I think I'm sick.." Kuroko said after feeling the pain. He looked around, noticing his vision was a bit blurry but didn't care. He wanted to close his eyes since he was starting to feel exhausted, but then he caught sight of brown hair. "Ogiwara-kun.. H-He's back.." He tried to tell Midorima and Aomine since they were the closest to him.

"He's not here Tetsu. Why don't you lay down an-"

"No, he's right there!" Kuroko cried while pointing towards the person with the brown hair. It was... Furihata.

"W-what?" Furihata asked nervously when he saw everyone looking at him.

Aomine sighed before approaching the said brunette, "Play along." He pushed him to Kuroko.

"P-Play along to what?" Furihata asked as Kuroko gently grabbed his arm.

"Ogiwara-kun, where.. did you go? Was Akashi-kun with you?" Kuroko asked. Furihata was really nervous and confused. "U-Um.. No.. And I just searched for supplies.."

Aomine jabbed the other, "Put some spirit into it. Just bear with it for a bit."

"B-But I don't.." Furihata sighed and sat down next to Kuroko when he kept tugging on his arm. He mind as well help to make it up to the group for betraying them before.

"I missed you.." Kuroko mumbled, leaning on Furihata. Man, they weren't kidding when they said Kuroko had a bad fever! He was burning up!

"Why don't you lay down..?" He suggested.

"Will Ogiwara-kun lay with me?" Kuroko asked and Furihata just reluctantly nodded. Kuroko laid down, pulling Furihata down with him.

Aomine and Midorima both gave Furihata a thumbs up, "Thanks kid." Although they didn't stay to watch, leaving to go lay down themselves.

"But.." Furihata just gave up and sighed. He felt Kuroko snuggling into his side and when Furihata looked over, the other was already asleep. At least he was saved from a little embarrassment. But who was Ogiwara anyway?

Hours passed as the van drove through the abandoned highways, but even though it took hours to get to their next destination, there was no chit chat in the vehicle at all. Partially because they were all asleep but another reason is because of Eiji. The scientist did nothing but navigate them, creating tension as to what his hidden motives are.

They knew that there was an even higher risk of them being in danger if they brought Eiji along, but they didn't have a choice. It's either facing the risk or struggle to find Akashi on their own. Japan isn't a big country but it was still vast enough for someone to completely disappear. That's why they needed the evil scientist's help.

That's how it was for a few days. Yes, days. Kuroko has been asleep for a few days. Of course he was conscious at times but he had no memories of what happened. He wouldn't separate from Furihata at all since he still thought he was Ogiwara.

When he woke up as "himself", he felt tired and groggy. He looked around, confused as to why Furihata was sitting on his bed right next to him. He looked around again before realizing Aomine was back! "Aomine-kun!.." He said, slowly sitting up.

"Huh? Oh! Tetsu you're awake! Mornin~" Aomine was sitting at the table with Midorima and Kise who also noticed that Kuroko had woken up. "How are you feeling Kuroko?" Midorima had to ask since Kuroko slept for days.

"I'm fine?" Kuroko didn't understand why Midorima was asking that. "Aomine-kun.. Why are you acting like nothing happened? Aren't you mad at me?"

"Not really. I mean I had a lot of time to cool of." He said before drinking from his bottle. "Days to be exact." Midorima specified while Kise nodded as well.

"What do you mean days?" Kuroko asked. "You ran out and Midorima helped me to bed and.." Now he was here so.. What happened?

"Then your fever caught up to you, making you extremely weak and fragile." Midorima pushed up his glasses, "Such a strong fever... Although I can't say that it was unexpected. We did venture out to Mt. Fuji, to the top to boot." Anyone would be affected by the cold, especially Kuroko who has a fragile body and stamina to begin with.

"Fever?" A small fever made him sleep for a few days? That would explain why he's so tired and weak. "Did anything happen when I was... Out?"

"Not really~" Aomine hummed, "You were acting out of it but it's nothing to worry about." They wouldn't want to worry Kuroko with everything he did. "Ah! But we're not in Shizuoka city anymore. Judging by where the old geezer is taking us, we're probably going back to Kyoto."

"Out of it?" Kuroko asked with concern. "Kyoto... Why would Akashi-kun go to Kyoto?"

"We don't know." Why would he go back to Kyoto? "Going back where it all started..." The experiments, the base city of the Akashi corporation, Ruby and... the place where they all met, including Kuroko. Kyoto is their hometown as well and although he didn't know it, it's Kuroko's as well.

"What can be back there though?" Kuroko sighed. He was too tired to think but he didn't feel he could sleep anymore.

"We don't know." How could they know?

"Well... Let's talk about something we do know. Or at least what you guys know. What do you mean I was out of it? And how come I got a fever after we were off the mountain?" Kuroko asked.

"It's nothing unusual. It seems your body has low metabolism, not surprising considering your low stamina and strength." Midorima explained, "Your fever was so high that you began to hallucinate."

"In other words you were drunk." Aomine teased.

"You could describe it that way." Midorima agreed.

"Drunk? Hallucinating?" He really acted like that? "Did I say anything stupid or embarrassing?" Kuroko asked worriedly.

"Well..." How should they tell him…

Kuroko waited anxiously. By the hesitant response, he could just tell he said something stupid.

"Well it... wasn't necessarily stupid.." Kise started to say.

"Yeah! It was... creative?" Aomine said, receiving looks from Kise and Midorima. Meanwhile Furihata twitched in his seat. Should he tell Kuroko? But then again, he didn't want to interrupt.

Creative? What did he try doing while he was out?

"K-Kuroko.." Fuirhata started nervously. "Who's.. Ogiwara-kun?" As soon as he asked, everyone became quiet. Kuroko had no idea how to respond. He brought up Ogiwara?

"What did I say? When I was out?" Kuroko repeated desperately.

"Okay! Okay! You suddenly began asking where Ogiwara and Akashi are, and being as drunk as you were, you mistook Furihata over there for Ogiwara." Aomine explained.

"I.. mistook..?" Kuroko looked at Furihata. Ogiwara did have a little brown in his hair... He probably saw the brown hair and assumed it was Ogiwara. "I'm sorry if.. I made anyone uncomfortable.."

"You couldn't help it! It's alright Kurokocchi!" Kise tried to cheer Kuroko up but it didn't work.

"Yeah! You had a fever. Don't worry about it. We got over it." Aomine yawned. He didn't get much sleep because of the couch.

"But.. I'm sorry." Kuroko said again. "Did I at least apologize to you? When you came back to the car?" He looked at Aomine.

"Don't w-o-r-r-y about it! Geez~" Aomine stood up and smacked Kuroko on the head, not enough to hurt but just enough to push him a bit forwards. "We're almost at Kyoto so we should prepare. Although I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. You didn't dream of pans at all~" He teased.

"Why would I dream of pans? I'm telling you, I don't like pans." Kuroko sighed. "If I didn't apologise earlier, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just stressed, but that's no excuse.."

Bam! Again another smack on the head, "Out of it now?"

"What are you talking about? I'm just apologizing!" Kuroko frowned. "Why do you keep hitting me?"

Bam! "Yeah, he's out of it now." Aomine smirked, looking down at Kuroko. "Now stop apologising and get back in the game. We have a city to get to."

"But.." Kuroko gave up and just nodded. He didn't understand why Aomine won't accept his apologies but he guessed the other still disliked him for yelling at him.

Bam! "Aominecchi! Stop hitting him!"

"I can't help it! It's Tetsu's fault!"

Kuroko held his head and even cowered away a bit in hopes of having Aomine stop hitting him. "Please stop hitting me.."

"Then man up. Apologising and crying won't find Akashi." Aomine raised his hand to the bluenette to take, "Come on Tetsu. Let's find him together."

Kuroko looked up at the other, still hesitant since the other hit him so many times. "Okay.." He said, reluctantly taking Aomine's hand.

Aomine pulled the other up to stand. "Careful. You'll have to take it easy for the day since you just recovered from a heavy fever." Midorima warned.

"Alright. I understand." Kuroko said. "So you said we might be arriving o Kyoto soon? Where will we bunker when we get there?"

"We'll try to see if our old hideout is still functional. If it is, then we might stay there. If it isn't, then we always have our 2nd hideout for emergency situations." Hopefully at least the 2nd hideout would still be in good condition.

"We're close~" Murasakibara hummed from the front as Kyoto finally showed up behind the horizon.

It's amazing how this place was the start of their whole journey. It was quite funny actually. They all met Kuroko there and now they're returning to find Akashi.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Is it working? Oh my god it's working. I can write notes again! Thank goodness! Finally! Sorry, you guys have no idea how troublesome my tablet has been with writing notes. Anyway... Uh, that long review, wow! I'm amazed! I like hearing those long reviews :'3 it's so nice to read!

And hmm... as for the password, I thought of "sorry" long before but I didn't share the idea until late in the story :'3 sorry KT. Anyway, again- UH, are we nearing the end of the story? Maybe in like... at least under ten chapters-? I think? If I can math right-

Please don't be shy to leavening reviews. We love them! But we appreciate even a sentence too, so don't be shy!

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello everyone! :D I'm back from Japan! :D But even though I'm back I feel as if I left a part of me there ;3; I LOVED it soooooo much! So much Akakuro goodies! I literally wanted to buy the whole store! XD Ah! But I did have something scary happen to me! I was wearing a t-shirt (the one that sticks more to your body line) and I had guys secretly take pictures of me in the train! They were all looking at me! I didn't know why they did and I still don't know! But... my biggest theory is my boobs... XD I don't know! It was so scary! So scary that I had to buy a new much bigger shirt! XD

Ok enough with that XD I really hope you all enjoyed the chapter :) I certainly, 100% took inspiration from my Japan trip and I came to understand some things the Japanese do. Like for example why they shower every day :) And also why anime girls have big boobs... I'm sorry if I sound mean but on average Japanese women don't have big boobs and thus anime girls do ;3; Sorry! I didn't mean to be mean! I'm just stating what I observed ;3;

Ehem... I'm getting swayed again! But I can't help it, I have so much to tell! XD *slaps* Ok focus, THANKS EVERYONE for reading the chapter and I hope you'll look forward to the next one :)

Cheshastrawberry THANK YOU so much for such a wonderful review! :D Don't worry, we love longer reviews and the longer the better for us :D It was so interesting to read because I'm sooooo curious what the readers think of the story XD Ah! And I also love learning about you as well so don't worry about liking being the centre of attention XD Who doesn't like it? XD Ehem... Anyway, actually I have to confess that Bell and I thought about the password at the last minute XD But we did consider your password at one time :D It was an endless search. And to answer your question, more info about the small devices will be revealed later :) I know it much seem pointless but we will reveal it/explain it soon :)

Sorry for the long note everyone! SO much to say and so little time! *busy* Please don't forget to... REVIEW! XD hehe~ and we'll see you next week! Bye! :D

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	23. File 23

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

"How long until night?" Kise asked.

"About 3 hours."

"Hmm~ We'll make it." Murasakibara hummed, stepping on the pedal. They were low on gas but Murasakibara made it his mission to get them all to the base before it runs out. Out of the corner of his eye, while looking out the window, Kuroko noticed Eiji glancing back at him. Their eyes met for a second before Eiji returned his gaze onto the horizon.

Kuroko kept looking at Eiji before backing away and went to Midorima. "Did anything happen? With... him?" He whispered, referring to Eiji.

Midorima looked up at the old man before turning back to Kuroko, "He didn't say a word." Only speaking up when they needed detailed navigation.

"...What do you think his goal is? He still hasn't told anyone I'm assuming." Kuroko sighed. He really didn't want to group harmed at all. He didn't care if he lost his humanity and got blood on his hands. If Eiji hurt his new family, he wasn't going to leave alive.

"I'm not certain but perhaps it has something to do with Akashi? Why else would he find us and suggest working together?" They didn't know where Akashi would go so that was probably the case. At least that's the conclusion Midorima came to after thinking over it for the past couple of days of travel.

"If he wants to take Akashi-kun back and experiment more on him, I won't let him." Kuroko promised. "Even if I have to go against what Akashi-kun said about having blood on our hands."

Midorima felt uneasy, "Do you really think Akashi would want that?"

"No but it's also my choice. What would it matter? He hurt and killed innocent people, ruined many people's lives. He deserves karma and the only punishment that could fulfill his karma is death." Kuroko muttered.

"What will happen after then? Once you've killed him... do you think justice would be served? Would you feel like you're the hero for avenging everyone he experimented on?" Midorima pushed up his glasses, "I'm certain we won't feel any satisfaction and I'm sure Akashi wouldn't as well."

"Why does everyone think I'm trying to be the hero? I just want to keep the group and Akashi-kun safe." Kuroko grumbled. "What do you want to do then? Let him go so he could experiment on something else or even track us down and harm us again?"

"I'm not trying to say that. I think it would be best if Akashi decides." Once they find him of course.

"But he'll go easy on him and he doesn't deserve that." Kuroko argued. "I mean.. He is the leader, yes, but.. it's not fair. I'm tired of being stepped on then forgiving that person. And I'm tired of being confused. Even if you guys keep reassuring me that you love me, I can never know for sure. But I love you guys so I want to protect you from threats like him.."

Midorima sighed, there was no use in him saying anything or convincing Kuroko if the other doesn't want to believe, "I think you need some time to think things through. About Akashi, us and everything else."

"But I don't need to think things through.. What's wrong with protecting you guys?" Kuroko asked.

The doctor couldn't help but sigh again, "Just think about it Kuroko. That's all I'm asking." However, suddenly everyone heard the loud BAM! come from the engine as the van suddenly made a couple of sudden stops.

"What happened?" Did they finally run out of fuel? Kuroko went up to the front of the car.

"No more fuel." Murasakibara starred the wheel, pressing hard on the pedal as the van barely moved forward. Kuroko looked out and was surprised to see that they were in the city. What's more, the area was familiar! Their hideout must be close by!

The van made a few more loud sounds but Murasakibara wasn't willing to give up. They turned and turned until finally the van stopped, along with it's motors that ceased to function.

"Well... We're close enough. We can make it before dark on foot I think." Kuroko said.

"I need some stretching anyway." Aomine stretched his arms before standing up and picking up his backpack. Everyone did the same, gathering their things, careful not to leave anything behind. "Let's go blondie!" Aomine tugged on Kise before jumping out of the van.

"You don't have to be so forceful." Kise followed Aomine with his own bag.

Kuroko made sure everyone had their things before picking up Nigou. He was still happy that the other was with him again.

Everyone went out of the van, except for Eiji who was the last to exit. His eyes locked with Kuroko's before he looked away again. "The base is this way." Aomine pointed to the road before them which they took.

They all began making their way to the base, Aomine mostly leading them even though they all knew the way except Eiji and Furihata. Well, Eiji might know since he's apparently been stalking them.

"Will we search for supplies again? We can look for Akashi-kun as we search." But it shouldn't be too hard since they had Eiji's device.

"We already know where Akashi is." Midorima glanced back at Eiji ho nodded. "If that's the case then I would suggest searching for supplies otherwise we won't have anything to eat for tonight."

"Nothing!? But I need fuel to function." Aomine grumbled.

"Then we better search before dark." Kise said with a smile. "It'll be like old times right?"

"Heck yeah! This is our territory and playground!" Aomine put his arm on Kise's arms, "We're the kings here!"

"That's right." Kise agreed. "Should half of us go exploring? Or how are we doing this?"

"We should all get to the hideout first~" Murasakibara suggested and Midorima nodded. "First we need to see in what kind of a shape it is or if we can even take shelter there." There could be a possibility that it's destroyed.

"It was pretty bad last time we left it." If it was disuseful, they could always use the back up hideout they used before.

"Then let's go and see for ourselves." Aomine resumed walking, dragging Kise with him as he went. The group stuck together but behind them was Eiji who was slower than the rest. Even though he was slow, Kuroko still had his eyes on him.

When they finally arrived to the base, their hopes were crushed when they saw that it was in shatters.

"Do you think the second base is still up and standing?" Kuroko asked, looking at Midorima.

"What will we do if it's not?" Kise asked.

Midorima didn't reply but began walking towards the direction of the second hideout. He hoped it would still be standing. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he noticed that it was still functional. No broken windows and no serious damages.

They all went inside, relieved to be able to sit down for a moment and plan on what to do. "So.. Who should stay and who should go?" Kise asked. He was obviously eager to go out and search his hometown again.

"Why don't we all go?" Aomine suggested, but when they all turned to Eiji, he understood. "Ohh~" Midorima folded his arms, "One of us should stay with... our new acquaintance." Eiji didn't say anything.

"I can stay~" Murasakibara volunteered.

"I'm not doubting you, but will you be alright by yourself?" Kuroko worriedly asked.

"Hmhh~ I'll be fine." The giant assured.

"Okay.. well, we should go now so we have some time before dark." Kuroko suggested. "Should we decide on who goes where in teams again?"

"Hmmm~ There's five of us right? So how do you wanna divide?" Since Furihata joined them, they have one extra member. Meanwhile, Eiji was leaning on the wall with his eyes closed. However, when he suddenly pushed himself off and went towards the doors, everyone was alarmed.

"Where are you going?" Aomine hissed.

Eiji turned around, raising a brow, "I'm going outside of course. I'm not complied to stay here on your terms."

"Well, you kind of are since you agreed to stay with us until we found Akashi-kun." Kuroko said. "If you're going to go outside, someone would have to go with you." Not that he'd want him out there anyway.

"Why? Just because you said so Kuroko-kun? Hmph! Please, spare me from your whines. I can go whenever I want to." He turned around, "Our agreement goes as far as finding Ignis, yes, but I'm not your prisoner. I will go survey the area and come back."

Kuroko hesitantly looked at the others. At any point of time, Eiji could just leave if he goes out alone. "Then it wouldn't be a problem if someone went out with you right? We're not idiots, we're not just going to let you go out alone."

"Be my guest." Eiji didn't have any problems with that. He let the idiots do what they want.

"...I can go.. if that's okay with everyone." Kuroko offered softly. He didn't want anyone getting mad like Aomine did.

"Are you sure Kuroko?" Midorima couldn't help but worry, especially since Kuroko is a weaker member of the group.

"Yeah. The bigger members of the group need a break." Especially since Kuroko had been doing nothing but sleeping apparently. It was because of a fever of course, but that's no excuse.

The others weren't so sure on letting Kuroko go alone, "Maybe one of u-"

"Kuro-chin can do it. If we split up then we can cover a wider area~" Murasakibara looked over at the group before at Kuroko. He trusts the bluenette to watch over the scientist.

The others hesitated but... they had to trust Kuroko. "Alright. We leave it to you then."

"Thank you." Kuroko said, sighing in relief. So the group did trust him. It made him feel a little happy. "Alright so you guys can decide where you go and I'll go outside with him?"

"Be careful."

"Don't let your guard down Tetsu."

"Bye~ Bye~ Kuro-chin."

The group agreed as Kuroko left, following Eiji out. The elder man already left before him so Kuroko had to run a bit to catch up.

Kuroko made it to Eiji's side, watching him closely. He should have kept the device from the beginning and made Eiji use it when they needed. That way if Eiji tried to run, then he couldn't use the device either.

"I would appreciate it if you would stop glaring at me. How primitive." Eiji commented as he took out the device, about to turn it on.

"I'm not glaring." Kuroko huffed before looking at the device. It really was tempting to just reach out and take it, but would he be able to do it? Eiji already turned it on and they looked at the map. The dot... it looked like it was close by. "Is it… really close by?"

Eiji couldn't help but stare in surprise as well, "He's close."

Kuroko was hesitant about going to get him, but they had to take this chance. "Should we go now? We should tell the group shouldn't we?"

"I don't care what you do." Eiji ignored the bluenette and began walking straight ahead towards the signal.

Kuroko frowned and followed Eiji without a second thought. He couldn't just let Eiji go alone, especially to go retrieve Akashi. "I'm not letting you go alone."

"Do as you please." Eiji said as the device began emitting beeping sounds, signaling that they were getting closer and closer to their target.

Kuroko felt anxious as they approached the dot on the device. They'd run into Akashi any minute now! "He's in that building then?" It was a worn down building with broken windows and such, but it had many floors. Akashi may be on one of them.

Eiji didn't reply but headed straight for the building before him. The beeping intensified as Kuroko and Eiji went up the stairs onto the second floor but then when the device stopped beeping and instead made nonstop sounds, Eiji and Kuroko looked before them but were surprised to see a small device laying on the ground.

They stared for a few seconds as if they were debating if that was the tracking device or not. Kuroko slowly walked up to it and picked it up. He turned to show it to Eiji. "This isn't it.. is it?" He hoped it wasn't it. If it wasn't, then that meant Akashi could be anywhere. Maybe he wasn't even in Kyoto anymore.

Eiji lowered his head, looking at the device that was pointing to the device in Kuroko's hand. So Ignis had taken it off... Looks like he underestimated the alien... Eiji looked up when suddenly loud growls could be heard nearby. Eiji and Kuroko froze when they noticed one, two, three, no... ten daylight creatures suddenly surround them.

Kuroko looked around at the creatures surrounding them warily. He didn't have his weapons with him since he left it at the base. He didn't think Eiji would go too far! "Should we run?" There was a creature by the stairs but maybe they could hit it away or maybe even jump over it.

However, unbeknown to Kuroko, Eiji had different plans. The scientist reached out under his coat, grabbing another small device before pressing it's button. The creatures noticed his sudden movements and quickly moved for an attack, however, when they were about to jump on him, they suddenly got pushed away as an invisible shield suddenly appeared around Eiji.

Kuroko watched in shock and surprise as the scientist smirked, "Farewell Subject 11. I want to say 'I hope you'll survive' but I would be lying. Don't worry, I'll be sure to tell Ignis of the pathetic way you died~" Eiji couldn't help but chuckle as he calmly left the floor and the building, untouched by the monsters around him who could do him no harm.

"Hey! Come back here!" He couldn't let Eiji get away. Even if the other was useless, he didn't want to let the other have a chance at finding Akashi. However when he tried making his way to the stairs, the now furious daylight creatures moved in the way before jumping to attack. It was hard to dodge so many creatures so of course Kuroko didn't move away unscathed. He tried focusing on avoiding getting his leg chomped on again. He couldn't become immobile like last time, not now.

Since he was weaponless, Kuroko tired to use his misdirection and the combat skills he had learned. Luckily it was working on the creatures as he hit one after another successfully taking them down. However, with each one Kuroko took out, another would appear to take its place. It was a never-ending cycle of creatures that began flooding the building.

Not only were there more and more creatures, but Kuroko's weak stamina was beginning to show. With the energy he has left, he wouldn't even be able to take on five more...

Kuroko flinched, his body covered in scars and wounds as his back hit the wall behind him. Dead end? He looked back at the creatures that were growling ferociously at him, surrounding him with no escape left. Will this really be the end? Is it the end? So it will really end like this... he couldn't meet Akashi again. What's more Eiji would find him and...

Kuroko tightened his fist, panting as he watched the creatures growl and prepare for an attack. So this is how he will die... if only he could see Akashi one more time... He would be content...

Kuroko closed his eyes completely, waiting for the jaws of the creatures to rip his neck and insides open... however, instead of the pain came a screeching sound of one of the daylight creatures. Kuroko quickly opened his eyes to see the same night creature that visited him at night by the window. Why was it here?

Kuroko watched as the huge night creature growled at his daylight counterparts, standing in front of Kuroko. He was much bigger and chunkier than the other creatures, so much that it compensated for the disadvantage in numbers.

"How.." How was a night creature out in daylight? He looked closer and noticed that the creatures skin was actually sizzling. Was this why they couldn't go out in sunlight? And to think, this creature was risking its life to save him...

The day creatures may be bigger in numbers, but the night creature was still stronger. It was able to hit multiple creatures at once, knocking them back and even injuring a few greatly.

However, the daylight creatures weren't willing to give in, noticing that their opponent was losing strength. The night creature noticed but didn't give up either. Since they were in a building, there were many shadows covering the floor where they were. He wasn't done just yet!

Kuroko was startled when the night creature suddenly turned to him, going for the kill. The bluenette quickly closed his eyes but again the pain didn't come. Instead he felt the massive creature bite his shirt and picking him up. The daylight creatures growled, going in for another failed attack as the night creature pushed them all away with it's mighty tail.

The huge bulky creature didn't waste anymore time and jumped out the window, breaking the glass and jumping while holding Kuroko in it's mouth. The creature landed safely on the ground but as soon as it did, it took off running so that he could lose the other monsters that were still in the building.

The creature ran but Kuroko noticed that it was in pain, hearing a few whines despite the fact that the creature held him in it's mouth. Since they were outside in the open, the creature probably felt the pain from the sunlight.

The wolf like creature ran and ran until it finally decided to take shelter in an abandoned skyscraper. It carried Kuroko inside before he placed him down in the dark. After making sure Kuroko was okay, the creature tiredly walked to lay down next to the wall, where there were the darkest of shadows the building could provide.

Kuroko hated seeing the creature in pain. He wished he could help, but how could he? He hesitantly moved closer and since the creature didn't growl, he supposed it was okay. He sat beside it and tried petting it. It flinched away at first but was in too much pain to do any more than that. Kuroko softly patted its head, frowning as he looked at both their wounds. "Thank you.. I don't know why you did it, but thank you.. so much. I wish I could help.. can I help somehow?" He asked.

The creature's bloody red eyes looked into Kuroko's teal blue ones.

"Yes..."

"Letter... Read..." The creature moved his right paw towards Kuroko and strangely enough there was a messenger bag attached to his leg. Surely the creature couldn't have put this on by himself?

Kuroko slowly opened the bag, careful not to harm the creature. He took out a single piece of paper that was inside and opened it up. "...Don't follow... was this sent by Akashi-kun?" He asked, looking at the creature.

"Yes..." The creature said as it placed his head down to rest, "Don't... follow... father…"

"But.. I just want to help them. Both of them." Kuroko said. "And you. Can't I do anything about your wounds? It's the least I could do since you helped me.." Kuroko was pretty tired himself since he too was pretty beat up and bleeding, not to mention his low stamina, but he just couldn't ignore the fact that this night creature risked its life to save him.

"Leave me... alone..." The creature said as it's pants slowly started to calm down. "Father... ordered to... watch you... Knew... you would... follow..." The creature glanced at Kuroko, "Stupid... human…"

He ordered him to watch them? So he did still care? "I know I asked this before but.. if you see him again, please, please, tell him that I remember and that I care for him. We all do. I know it's a lot to ask but.. He needs to know. We don't want to hurt him, we just want to help." Kuroko said quietly, leaning against the wall tiredly. Would he be able to make it to the group? He'd have to try... He couldn't let them worry. "Where is Akashi-kun? Can't you tell me?"

The creature slightly growled at the question, startling Kuroko a bit. It placed his head back down, "Write letter... I take back... to father..." But that was all the creature was willing to do. He wasn't about to tell the human Akashi's location.

"Okay.." Kuroko looked around for something to write with before taking a pen out of the bag the creature had. He knew it sounded crazy, but maybe the fact that Akashi is able to use a pen can help them figure out where Akashi it. It really did sound crazy but it's all they got. He wrote down what he said on the back of the paper before returning it to the bag. "Thank you.. you don't have to go now. Please, rest until night. I can stay with you if you want." Kuroko didn't know if he could get up now anyway.

The creature growled again to show that he wouldn't listen to a human. It stood up, shook its body and then looked down on the human, staring at him as if silently telling him not to follow and that it's safe to go outside alone back to his group. The creature then took off, but what surprised Kuroko was that it didn't go outside but down to the underground floors of the building.

He just watched the creature leave, sitting there for a few minutes afterwards. He was gathering the strength to stand up. At least some of his wounds stopped bleeding, but he still felt awfully weak and sore from the battle. But he couldn't just sit there. He needed to get treated and tell the group what happened.

He willed himself to get up, staying close to the wall in case he might get dizzy. Then he made his way out of the skyscraper and towards the hideout. It was getting dark but he wasn't worried. It would mean the daylight creatures would go, and the nighttime creatures probably won't kill him. Key word probably.

When Kuroko arrived to the base, he wasn't surprised to see that nobody was there. Right, he had forgotten that the others were out scavenging as well. He waited until they finally showed up, "What happened?" Midorima quickly went over to the bluenette to check on him and his wounds.

"Just a.. daylight creature ambush.. I'm okay." Kuroko tried to assure the other. "But Eiji got away.. I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him.."

"Che! So that old geezer really did have something up his sleeve." Aomine hissed as Midorima kneeled down to treat Kuroko's wounds. "An ambush?" Midorima asked as he opened up his first aid box. Kuroko was lucky to escape, otherwise he wouldn't be here, especially if he doesn't have weapons like they do.

Yeah.. there were a whole bunch.." Kuroko explained. "We were on the second floor of a building so it was hard to escape. Or rather it was for me. He had some kind of device that knocked the day creatures back and he left me.. But he can't find Akashi-kun at least. Akashi-kun took off the tracker so.. none of us can find him with the tracking device."

They supposed it was a good thing but then again, that leaves them in the dark as well. Now neither they nor Eiji had a chance of finding Akashi, it's only a question of who finds him first.

Midorima began applying the disinfection as the group came in and sat down on their sleeping beds. "It'll sting just a bit."

Kuroko winced when Midorima began applying the disinfectant. "I only made it out because... one of the night creatures came and fought them off for me."

"Night creatures? Are you sure?" Kise asked with surprise. Kuroko nodded.

"And.. He brought a note. It was from Akashi-kun. It said, "don't follow". He knew we were going to follow and he doesn't want us to." Kuroko said.

"Are you sure it was from Akashi?" Aomine curiously asked.

"The creature said it was. He said it was a message from Akashi-kun." Kuroko said. "I wrote a message back but.. I don't think I'm going to get a response."

"So Akashi is watching us?" Midorima thought as he placed bandages on the disinfected wounds. If Akashi is really watching them, then the only means of doing that would be by using the creatures.

"It's probably to make sure we don't follow but.. we still have to find him. We can't just give up right?" Kuroko asked worriedly.

"Of course!" Aomine agreed as he pushed himself down to lay on his sleeping bag. "We won't give up that easily."

"Yeah. We can't just give up on him." Kise assured with a smile.

"Okay... Well, who's going to do first shift?" Kuroko asked. He would offer but he is pretty tired.

They all stared at one another, giving each other a look saying 'not me'. However, somebody had to be on shift, "I'll do the first shift." Midorima volunteered.

"Are you sure Midorima-kun? You can switch with me for the next shift if you want." Kuroko offered.

"You're injured and thankfully I have more people to switch out with." Midorima gave Aomine a look, which made the other turn to Kise, giving him the same type of stare.

Kise pouted when he saw the stare. "Why me?"

"Really.. I don't mind. I haven't done a shift in so long and I got injured again and let Eiji go.. Really, I want to help." Kuroko said.

Midorima sighed, "Alright, if you must." Normally he wouldn't let his patients keep watch, since they had to sleep to recover but Kuroko seemed really motivated and determined to do it for some reason.

Midorima went to his sleeping bag, now that he was done treating Kuroko, but he noticed that Furihata didn't have one. "You don't have a sleeping bag?"

"O-Oh uh, no.. I don't.." He only had his supplies with him, not that he had much to begin with. "I never got one.. since we were sleeping in the van all this time.."

That's troublesome... Midorima wanted to suggest sharing but the bags were too small for that. Then he remembered that they had one spare, Akashi's sleeping bag. "You can take the spare we have." Midorima said as Murasakibara ruffled through his bag for the spare. Since the giant was strong, he could afford to carry more things with him.

"Are you sure that's alright?" Furihata asked. He didn't really expect the group to be kind like this. He didn't even expect them to notice he didn't have a sleeping bag. "Um.. thanks.."

"Welcome~" Murasakibara handed Furihata the bag before going back to his own. It was already dark but the night is young. They just hope it'll be a peaceful one.

"Thank you again." Furihata opened the bag and got comfortable just like the others were. So it was decided that Kuroko would actually go first and would wake up Midorima after a while. Kuroko wanted to go first since he knew he might not wake up for his shift if he fell asleep now.

But while Kuroko was awake, the others quickly fell asleep. They had a long day of travelling and scavenging behind them, not to mention that they had to be on guard all this time due to Eiji. They weren't sure if they should be lucky that he left, but at least they would get more sleep and be much more rested than they were these past couple of days.

Despite being tired, Kuroko did his best to stay up. There wasn't much danger since the night creatures might not attack, but they don't know that for sure. Plus there's a chance that Eiji might come back and try something. That they could not let happen.

As he sat there in silence (aside from Aomine's loud snoring), the silence was broken when he heard some scratches at the door. Could it be a creature trying to attack? But it was just light scratching, like a dog wanting to be let in after going outside. Kuroko looked around for Nigou, but of course he was inside, sleeping close to the middle since everyone was around there.

Kuroko got up and slowly headed to the door. He looked back at the group, hoping they didn't wake up as he opened the door a crack. It was funny how he was more relieved to see a night creature rather than Eiji. But it wasn't just any night creature. It was the one who saved him. He could tell by the bag around his leg. "Are you alright?" He asked softly.

The creature growled, stomping in place before lifting his right paw up. "Reply..."

Kuroko took a paper out of the bag again and anxiously read it. "Don't follow.." There was another short sentence after that that said "disgusting human", but he didn't want to read it aloud. "Can I write a response again?"

The creature slowly nodded, watching the human take out the pen from his bag again.

Kuroko decided to write a bit more detail. He started off saying things like "I really didn't mean to leave before" and explaining things that happened with his father and his work. Then he mentioned the creature saving him and thanking both the creature and him for it.

When Kuroko was done, he folded the paper and placed it back into the creature's bag, along with the pen. The creature stared as the human did, watching his every move.

"I'm still grateful you helped me from before. Thank you and please tell Akashi-kun," Or would it be Ruby? ".. Please tell them thank you too." Kuroko requested.

The creature didn't reply but kept looking up at Kuroko. As he did, Kuroko noticed something out of the corner of his eye... He turned and noticed that other night creatures watched them from afar. They were on roofs, in buildings and on the roads as well. Just like last time with the daylight creatures, Kuroko was surrounded.

Kuroko looked around at the creatures with surprise. There were so many... He couldn't tell if they were hostile or friendly. He slowly backed away to the door but they didn't budge. He supposed they were okay... So he quickly went inside before anyone could notice he was gone.

Just to be sure, Kuroko peeped through the peep hole of the door and saw the the creatures were still there. He noticed that the creature that was carrying his letter slowly left as the others soon disappeared into the darkness as well. Kuroko didn't remember there being so many creatures in Kyoto which made him wonder what happened to change that…

He returned to his bag after that, wondering if it was really safe in Kyoto. Maybe there were that many creatures outside because Akashi was still around? If so, that means they still have a chance at finding Akashi in Kyoto.

When the time came to it, Kuroko woke up Midorima for his shift. He was too tired to feel bad as he went to go sleep in his sleeping bag. Hopefully he'd get a response soon from the creature.

The next morning, Kuroko was woken up by loud voices which seemed to be arguing. Kuroko mumbled in his sleep, covering himself with his blanket to try and protect his ears from the noise, "Are you stupid!? Of course dragons would breathe out fire is they existed! You see it all the time in movies!" Ah... It was long since Kise and Aomine had one of their meaningless fights.

"But there are some that shoot water and stuff too!" Kise argued back. Everyone else, even Nigou, were watching with their own dead pans. "Do they.. do this often?" Furihata asked Midorima who was getting their supplies ready for the day.

"Just ignore it, it'll do you good." Otherwise you would get a headache from just listening to it. "Water? Pfff! Where did you see that? I never saw a dragon spit out water in movies! Idiot!"

"They do though! Some of them!" Kise insisted. "There are water dragons and these poison ones and stuff!"

"But.. dragons? Why?" Furihata asked. How do they come up with arguments like this?

"Furihata will tell you!" The brunette was startled when suddenly Aomine placed his hand on his arms, "What do you think? Dragons only breathe out fire right? Tell him that water and poison shit is stupid."

"W-why am I being pulled into the discussion?" Furihata asked, nervous to give his opinion and get mad at by Kise or Aomine.

"Come on, just tell us!" Kise said.

"Yeah! Fire or Water!" Aomine and Kise anxiously awaited the answer, putting pressure on the poor brunette. Midorima sighed while Murasakibara ignored them completely, getting his things ready for the scavenge.

"U-Umm... why not both?" Furihata nervously said. "I mean.. more the merrier right..?"

"No! You have to choose one!" Both Kise and Aomine said in unison, raising their voices.

"B-But..." Furihata had no clue what to say. "I-I guess... fire? There are a lot more fire dragons in movies I guess.."

"Yes! Aha! See! Furihata agrees so I'm right!" Aomine victoriously said as he triumphantly stood in front of the blonde.

"But there's still water dragons too!" Kise whined with fake tears in his eyes.

"Sorry.." Furihata murmured, hoping he didn't seriously hurt Kise.

"Could you stop with your useless arguments about dragons and unicorns? We have much more important things to do, like scavenging." They need to go out while they still can. It was morning but the sun won't be up in the sky forever.

"Fine~" Aomine and Kise got to work, surprising Furihata who also took his things. However, while they were gathering their stuff, Nigou suddenly stood up and started barking. "Huh? What's wrong?" Aomine wondered as Nigou ran to the door and began jumping on it, still barking their ears off.

Because of the barking, Kuroko finally woke up (which was unfortunate for him). He groaned when he heard the dog still barking. "What's going on?"

"I'll go look." Kise offered. Everyone was tense. What could it be? Monster? Eiji? Maybe even ruby? He approached the door and once he picked up Nigou so he couldn't run, he opened it. But nothing was there. Kise looked all around but didn't see anything. "There's nothing out here…"

Aomine joined Kise downstairs at the door, "That's weird. Why did you bark little guy?" Aomine pat the little puppy who began growling while looking into the distance.

"Close the door." Midorima told them from upstairs which they did. Even though they didn't see anything, there could be something out there. After all, animals have much better senses than humans.

As Kise and Aomine closed the door and returned to the group, Kuroko slowly sat up. He felt a bit better after some rest. "Is everyone getting ready to go out? Should I get ready too?" He asked tiredly.

"Yes. We'll be going out in a bit so get ready." Midorima said as Kise placed Nigou down on the floor. The puppy whined, turning in circles as if he was anxious. "Woff! Woff!"

"Nigou, everything's fine." Kuroko tried to assure as he slowly got up to go get his stuff. It's not like he wasn't already packed and such. He just needed to completely wake up.

As Kuroko was getting ready, Nigou had other plans. The little puppy ran to Kuroko, biting the sleeve of his pants to try to move him. However, since the puppy was so small, all it did was grab Kuroko's attention.

"What is it Nigou?" Kuroko asked, looking down at the pup.

"Maybe he has to use the bathroom.." Furihata said.

"I can take him out then." Kuroko offered, picking up Nigou. "Is that it, buddy?" He asked, looking at the pup.

"Woff! Woff!" The puppy barked, anxiously moving in Kuroko's arms.

"Okay okay." Kuroko picked up his stuff and put it over his shoulder before taking Nigou out. "Stay close." He said, setting Nigou down.

"Woff!" Nigou barked, but as soon as Kuroko placed him down, he took off running.

"Nigou! Don't run!" Kuroko said, trying to run after Nigou. But he stopped since he didn't want to go too far from the group. He watched Nigou run off, wondering what to do but ended up clueless.

Kuroko stood in place, but then he suddenly heard a loud dog howl. The howl couldn't have come from Nigou because it was a howl of a much bigger and stronger dog... It sounded like the howl of the creatures…

No, no, no... Didn't howls mean they found prey? Well it also meant they're contacting other animals but... "Nigou!" He didn't want the pup to become food. He started running again, heading towards the howl.

Kuroko's heart began racing when suddenly he heard dog cries, as if someone attacked them. The cry was loud but horrifying at the same time because it sounded like a cry of a smaller dog. Did the creatures attack Nigou and the little pup was trying to defend?

Kuroko ran faster even if his stamina was already kicking in. The growls and whines were finally close by, in a building next to Kuroko. He quickly rushed in but stopped when he saw the battle before him. It was just a big day creature circling a smaller, wounded one. It wasn't Nigou at all.

As soon as he had rushed in, both looked at him with snarls. But then the big one used this chance to attack the smaller one, and the battle began again. Kuroko looked around and noticed a shaking figure under one of the tables. Nigou! He snuck around the fight and went to Nigou. "Nigou, it's okay, it's me…"

The little puppy was shaking uncontrollably as he moved further down under the table to hide. Nigou whined in fright when Kuroko tried to take him out.

"Nigou, it's okay, it's me!" Kuroko whispered, trying to reach for Nigou. "Come on, don't you want to get out of here?"

Nigou whined again and again, fear controlling him completely. When Kuroko would finally catch him, Nigou would do everything in his power to slip out of Kuroko's hands, making Kuroko's job that much more difficult.

While Kuroko was trying to get Nigou, the two monsters fought, loud ear-piercing cries resonating throughout the entire room. However, suddenly they stopped, making Kuroko wonder what happened. The bluenette peeked up from under the table to see the creatures sniffing the air.

The bigger creature took off running, while the smaller wounded one barely stood up and went out as well.

Why did they leave? Well, it didn't matter. Nigou luckily calmed down enough so Kuroko could hold him and pick him up. However as he turned back to leave, he noticed something across the street in the next building. It was... one of the night creatures.

And to top it off, it was the night creature he knew! Or better say the postman creature. Did that mean Akashi had sent a reply?

Kuroko stared for a second before realizing the creature couldn't even come over if it wanted to. So he quickly went over across the street even if Nigou whined and squirmed in his arms. He went inside the shadows of the building and looked at the creature. "Did he reply yet?"

The creature walked up towards the bluenette, raising up his paw so that Kuroko could take out the letter.

Kuroko placed down Nigou who cowered at Kuroko's feet. He took the letter out of the bag and read it. It... was an address? Akashi was asking to meet him somewhere... alone. It specifically said alone. Why would he want to meet him? "He.. wants to meet me? Why alone?"

"You want... to meet... so you... meet." The creature said as it looked down at Nigou who cowered away in response, squeezing in between Kuroko's legs.

It was true that Kuroko wanted to meet Akashi again, but alone? He supposed it was alright... what if he found something out that would hurt the group? Yeah, he wouldn't want to tell the group. "Okay.. I'll go meet him." He kept the letter and picked up Nigou. "Thank you for bringing and sending the messages."

The creature didn't say anything before it turned around to leave. It gave Kuroko one last look before taking off running away.

Kuroko watched the creature leave before looking at the paper. "Let's go on a small trip okay? Then we'll go back to the base." He said to Nigou, picking him up again. The pup whimpered but didn't pull away. Kuroko just looked at the paper and tried making his way to the address. He didn't know Kyoto well but following the signs that were still standing was easy enough. He made it to what he hoped was the spot and looked around. Was it not the spot? He didn't see Ruby or Akashi…

He looked back at the paper and noticed that it specified to meet in the skyscraper beside him. Kuroko hesitantly went inside and went up the stairs. Akashi wrote down that they would meet on the twentieth floor so Kuroko had a lot of walking up the steps to get there, since the elevators didn't work.

When he finally got up, he looked around but all he saw was an abandoned resort. Not a soul to be seen as the winds blew through the broken windows. Since he was here, Kuroko went exploring, noticing a huge garden on the huge balcony.

What was amazing about the garden was that it was still looking healthy and growing... Was someone tending to them? Or did they just grow out of luck? Kuroko let Nigou roam and smell the flowers because that's what Kuroko was doing too. He forgot all about flowers but now that he's remembered about them, he suddenly missed them. It's been so long since he's seen a living, beautiful flower.

Kuroko didn't only admire the flowers but also the wonderful view that you could see from the balcony. Since they were on the twentieth floor, you could see almost all of Kyoto. Kuroko breathed in the fresh air, leaning onto the walls while admiring the view and the flowers, however, unbeknown to him, Kuroko didn't know that he was watched.

The bluenette held his hair in place as the wind suddenly picked up. When the wave of strong wind passed, there was silence. "We meet again, Tetsuya." A certain someone's voice cut through the calm silence, stirring something up in Kuroko's heart.

Kuroko turned to face Akashi, or rather Ruby. The golden eyes and black horns were still in place, meaning Ruby was still in control. "Ruby..." He murmured, recovering from the others sudden appearance. "I'm here alone.. like you said. Oh, but Nigou is here but that's only because I ran into trouble before coming here.."

Ruby smiled as his and Kuroko's eyes met, "That's alright. I don't mind that creature's presence." He took a few steps forward, but as he did, Kuroko's heart began beating faster and faster. "I wanted to see you Tetsuya."

"Y-You.. did?" Kuroko asked, unsure about what to say. Ruby actually wanted to see him? "Is it because of the message I sent? I swear I didn't mean to leave Ruby. I figured out it was because of my dad and.. I didn't want to forget, but I had no choice."

"That's right. You didn't have a choice." Ruby walked up closer to Kuroko until they were only inches apart, "You're only a victim to human greed." He slowly placed his hand on Kuroko's cheek, carefully to see if Kuroko was okay with that. "They took you away from me. The only human whom I love."

Kuroko's breath hitched slightly at those words. He knew Ruby might not mean love as in the way he liked Akashi, but either way that meant he cared right? He pushed Ruby's hand away but only so he could hug the other tightly. "I'm still so sorry... I said I didn't want to forget, but I did. I should've gave it my all to remember…"

Ruby smiled, returning the gesture, although he was much gentler than Kuroko. He placed one of his hands on top of Kuroko's hair, brushing it slightly while being careful of his sharp claw like nails, "There was no way you could have remembered Tetsuya. You were only a child but now that you've grown, you finally fulfilled your promise." The promise that he wouldn't forget.

Kuroko snuggled into the other, clutching onto him tightly. "I missed you... we all did. You said not to follow, but we couldn't help it. You're a part of the group too, even if you are Ruby and not Akashi-kun. Both of you are apart of our family. We've tried to hard to follow you.."

"And you did well. I'm proud." Ruby's eyes narrowed, glancing at Kuroko's chest. Although it was impossible to see due to the other embracing him, but even if he didn't see it, he felt it. The blue pendant that Kuroko always wore around his neck.

As Kuroko started moving away, he felt his hands touch something hard and kind of bumpy on Akashi's back and gave a confused look. "Ruby... did something happen to your back? Is it okay?"

Ruby knew what Kuroko was referring to but didn't plan on sharing the information, "I'm perfectly fine Tetsuya. In fact, I've never felt better." Ruby smiled, touching the side of Kuroko's face and his ear, "I want to know more about you. Tell me, did you happen to meet someone... at the mountain?" Ruby looked down and noticed that Kuroko had the pendant on him.

"Did the children tell you about that?" Kuroko asked with a sigh. "We met the scientist and we had to agree to his terms to find you. We all hated him and hated working with him even more, but we had to find you. He got away though and hopefully he'll never come back."

"You really think he won't come back?" Ruby curiously asked, looking down at the bluenette.

"Not really. I expect him to come back, to hurt you or the group, but I won't let him. I told Midorima-kun I'd deal with him if he hurts any one else ever again. He didn't want me to, but I just have to." Kuroko said.

Now that was amusing to hear. "And how would you 'deal' with him?"

"I'd get rid of him. He's killed and hurt who knows how many people. It wouldn't matter if he disappeared right?" Kuroko asked. "I'm tired of him hurting my family.."

Ruby couldn't help but smirk, "Yes... That's right Tetsuya. You can't let him hurt anymore people, more importantly your group. He's the one behind it all so he deserves to... 'disappear'." Ruby stopped his strokes but took a step forward so that they were inches apart. He leaned in closer, "It's not fair isn't it? When someone does you harm yet the others prevent you from doing what's right."

"Yeah... but luckily he won't be able to find you. I'm sure he won't. He's a scientist, but he's stupid sometimes." Kuroko grumbled. He looked up at Ruby. "Ruby... where have you been anyway? Why did you come back to Kyoto?"

"I came here in search for something." Ruby said, slightly narrowing his eyes. "But it seems that what I was looking for was always by my side." Kuroko gave a confused look, "You."

"W-what? What do you mean?" Kuroko asked with confusion. "Me? How am I what you were looking for?"

"You were everything I needed from the very beginning." Ruby slightly moved away, "It was my mistake not to realize that, I apologize Tetsuya." Ruby smirked, extending his hand for Kuroko to take, "Come with me Tetsuya. This way we'll always be together. We'll create a new world and place judgment on those who caused this catastrophe to happen." His smirk widened, "We'll kill the man who harmed your family."

Kuroko looked at his hand before slowly nodding. He couldn't let anyone hurt his family anymore. They were all he had... He reached out, slowly taking Ruby's hand. "Okay.. I will." He said, looking up at the other. He was shocked when suddenly something red left Ruby's right eye. Is that...? "Ruby, you're bleeding.. from your eye!"

Ruby was confused, touching his eye only to find that it was wet. Tears of blood you could say, "Don't worry Tetsuya. This is nothing to worry about. I'm fine." He rubbed his eye but the blood kept on dripping.

"Are you okay? What's going on?" What can he do? He's never heard of something like this, someone crying tears of blood. "Ruby, did you hurt yourself or something? How can I help?"

"I'm fine Tetsuya. It'll go away in a bit." But Kuroko wasn't assured. He watched as Ruby wiped the blood off but as he watched the blood fall, he couldn't help but think that someone was crying... Crying from deep within. It was heartbreaking to watch.

"Ruby.." Kuroko couldn't help but wonder.. was Akashi really gone? "I just want to make sure you're okay.."

"I said I'm fine Tetsuya." Ruby rubbed the eye one more time before the blood stopped.

Kuroko watched him before looking away. "Well.. what do we do now? Do we go to the group? They are probably wondering where I am.."

"No. We won't be going back. In order to reach our goals we have to move forward." There's no going back.

"What? But the whole reason is to protect them.." Kuroko frowned. "Why shouldn't we go get them? They're family.."

"They may be family but they'll be in the way." Ruby looked down on Kuroko, "They would only hold us back."

"But... They'll worry about us." Kuroko said. "And I suddenly disappeared. They'll really worry."

"It'll be for their own good. Would you rather have them worry, or risk putting them in danger? I would say the choice is obvious." Ruby narrowed his eyes.

"But they'll try even harder to follow if we both go missing." Kuroko pointed out. "If I go missing too, they'll try to follow us more."

"That is none of my concern." Ruby said in a lower tone.

"But they're family! Aren't we doing this to protect them?" Kuroko asked, taking one of Ruby's hands. But as he raised their hands on instinct, he noticed something red in Ruby's sleeve, on his arm. It was... scales? That couldn't be right. "What.. happened to you Ruby?"

"Nothing happened Tetsuya." Deciding he couldn't hide it anymore, Ruby pulled up his sleeve to reveal red scales under his sleeves. No... It wasn't just on his hands but also the chest and... probably in more places. "Isn't this wonderful? I'm closer and closer to my true form each day." Ruby smirked widely, "It'll only take a couple more days before I get rid of my disgusting human appearance!"

Kuroko could only stare with shock. Akashi's body was changing because of Ruby... Soon there really won't be any trace of Akashi left... "But Ruby... What about Akashi-kun? You're hurting him! Changing his body like this... I thought you wanted to help him, to get revenge for him. How can you do that if you hurt him yourself?"

"Shut up." Ruby hissed, stepping closer to the bluenette. When Kuroko blinked, he was surprised and startled to see that Ruby had his hand on his neck, pushing him towards the wall so that his upper body was hanging on from the roof, the only thing holding him up being Ruby's hand.

"You're ignorant yet you want to lecture me? Foolish!" He tightened his hold on Kuroko's neck, "I'm saving him from this world. If he disappears then all of the pain will go away... And I'll save you as well Tetsuya, but before that..." Ruby moved his other hand to grab Kuroko's pendant, tearing it from his neck. "Just what I need. Thank you for coming Tetsuya, my little loyal pawn~"

Pawn? Did that mean... He was being used again...? Kuroko honestly shouldn't be surprised but.. He was still hurt. Ruby of all people betrayed him. The group went through so much trouble to come find and save him, only for Ruby to betray and use them in the end. Or rather he just used Kuroko.

"You used me.. just like the scientists use me.. and Akashi-kun and everyone else.." He managed to stutter out, trying to keep himself from getting choked while trying to get the pendant back.

"Oh no dear Tetsuya~ You came to Kyoto on your own accord. Who would have known that annoying scientist would find you and offer to help search for me, or perhaps it was my mistake for not noticing the tracker earlier." Ruby felt ashamed after finding the tracker on him, he should have known better.

"But I was so glad you came. It turns out I need this keepsake of yours in order to advance further. Thank you for giving it to me Tetsuya. I really appreciate it."

"You still used me! You're no better than those scientists!" Kuroko said, feeling his throat tighten but not because of Ruby. It was tightening from all the emotions he was feeling. He really should be used to feeling betrayal, but it hurt coming from Ruby.

"Please.. Ruby... At least don't leave us. We came all this way to find you.. please." He pleaded, looking desperately at the other.

Ruby's eyes narrowed, pure anger showing in them. "Don't you dare compare me to humans!" Ruby tightened his hold on the other's neck, clouded by anger. Kuroko struggled to breathe as his eyes became blurry. However, the pain suddenly ceased as Ruby threw him back onto the grass.

"I've finally gained my freedom and you want to take it away from me? Could it be that it's you who is the same as those scientists Tetsuya?" Ruby walked closer and kneeled down next to Kuroko's laying body as the buenette panted and coughed, "I wasn't lying. You truly are the only human I love." Ruby touched Kuroko's cheek softly, "Even if you betray me and push me away, my feelings don't change. Even if... you don't share the same feeling, I still love you, you disgusting human."

"I didn't mean to betray you.. it wasn't my fault. But you.. you're aware of what you're doing. If you loved me, you wouldn't be betraying us.. I can't tell when you're telling the truth anymore." Kuroko took a deep breath, his throat hoarse from Ruby's rough treatment. "I love you. You and Akashi-kun. But I know you don't love me. You wouldn't be hurting me if you did."

"'Us'? Don't misunderstand Tetsuya. I only cared about the group because they were of use to me. How else would my host manage on his own if he didn't have help of other humans? Not just any humans, but his close friends. Once they served their purpose, they no longer matter to me." Ruby narrowed his eyes.

"However, you're different. I love you, yet I despise you. I loathe you for what you did that day years ago. You left me... You... betrayed me... What's worse... you forgot about me as if I never existed in the first place. You forgot even before your parents erased your memory, that day in the room when we played together. You were scared of me."

Ruby remembered the time Kuroko asked him who he was, not knowing at all. "I've always told you the truth and only the truth Tetsuya. Don't lie about that." Ruby leaned down closer, "Did you ever think why you're still alive? Why did everyone around you disappear while you're still here? Clinging onto your miserable little life. Surely, it wasn't by coincidence."

Ruby watched as Kuroko's breathing slowly evened out, "You were spared. If you weren't, you would have died long ago."

"I told you.. I didn't mean to forget! And in the room... how was I supposed to tell it was you? Ruby used to be a floating piece of... ruby. And then he suddenly formed into a human and... I was young! I wouldn't have been able to tell it was you if I hadn't felt the warmth!" He tried to convince the other desperately.

"I gave you the warmth! I embraced you tightly! I was there the entire time yet you didn't recognize me! Despicable... Disgusting..." Ruby raised his voice as he placed both of his hands on Kuroko's shoulders to prevent him from standing up.

"Ruby, I was just a kid! You were my only friend so when someone I didn't know claims that they're you, the you who used to be a stone, I got scared!" Kuroko said, gently gripping Ruby's arms. "If it had happened when I was older, I would've recognized you! I swear."

"Lies! You are older now! Yet you still didn't recognize me! After all this time, even if you're older, you still didn't recognize me! I tried to reach out to you, offer you my help but no..." Ruby's voice reflected his anger and hatred, "You only pushed me away... Denied my help and even my existence... With each and every kiss... you denied me."

"Ruby... look, I'm sorry Ruby! I was only denying you because I had to protect Akashi-kun and the group. If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have denied you! Please believe me Ruby. I love you, I do. I never meant to hurt you.." Kuroko pleaded.

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle, smiling at the irony, "So you did forget after all." Ruby laughed and laughed until he finally stopped, looking down at Kuroko with a smile, "I don't want to see you again Tetsuya. This is our final goodbye."

"Wait.. Ruby, don't please!" Kuroko said, looking up at the other. "Please, don't leave us. I might not have remembered against my own will, but I do now and I don't want to leave your side. I never lied either. I love you Ruby and I care for you, both you and Akashi-kun. It's been killing me not being by your side. Please, don't go."

"If you truly care about me then you would let me go, just like I'm willing to let you go right now." Ruby brushed Kuroko's hair before slowly moving his hand towards the other's neck, "I can't stand being with you Tetsuya. The pain from that day is still fresh within me, and that's why it's better that this time, I forget about you."

"Ruby, please.. it would literally kill me if you leave. I don't.. want to separate." Kuroko continued begging even though he knew by this point it was useless. "I love both of you so much... besides the group, you and Akashi-kun are all that I have left…"

"That's right." Ruby placed his hand on Kuroko's neck, "Do you feel it? All this pain and agony you feel when the one you love leaves you behind? Forgets you? Now you'll experience the same thing I did." Ruby suddenly hit the other's neck, which made Kuroko's vision slowly darken, "Goodbye Tetsuya." And then, Kuroko was swallowed by the darkness.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** *No note*

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** Hello everyone! I hope that you're having a WONDERFUL summer vacation so far :D One thing I forgot to mention in my last note was Seirin and I want to address it now. To be honest, we didn't really think things through. We just had them appear ad then disappear just like that... if I could re-write this story, I would definitely fix Seirin's appearance and involvement in the story :( Yes, they all died :( I'm sorry... it's a mistake on our part :( We'll learn from this and try not to do the same mistake again :)

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has reviewed :D You made our days even brighter! Ah! And the story is slowly reaching it's end so Bell and I hope you'll stick with us until the end :) Thank you and please don't forget to review :) See you next week! :D

P.S. If anyone made fanart inspired by our stories then please send us a link to see :) *needing fanart bad* XD Either from our roleplays, or stories we wrote by ourselves :)

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	24. File 24

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

Ruby didn't stay long after that. Now that he had was he needed, he left Kuroko laying there and made his way down the steps. But he did forget one little thing.

Nigou who had been watching finally gathered the courage to go over to Kuroko. He had been nervous to be close to Ruby so he hid but now that he was gone, he wasn't scared. He approached Kuroko who had his eyes closed and was just laying on the ground. He whined, gently nudging Kuroko's cheek. The other didn't stir. Nigou tried pushing his arm with his paws, but the other didn't move.

He started barking but Kuroko didn't wake up like he did this morning. He whined and whimpered, unsure of what to do. Where were the others? Could they wake up the human? But that would mean he would have to leave the human... He gently licked Kuroko's cheek before running to the steps. The many stairs frightened him but he was determined to get Kuroko help.

With his small legs, he made his way down the twenty floors of steps and out into the street. He didn't know which way was which but luckily he had his sense of smell. He followed the scent of the others which lead him to the hideout. By then it was already darkening outside. He went to the door and scratched, hoping one of the humans were inside.

Luckily the doors did open, "Huh? Nigou! Where were you!?" Aomine was confused when he didn't see Kuroko around, "Where is Tetsu? Don't tell me... Oi! Everyone get up! Kuroko is missing!" Aomine ran back inside, not caring if he woke anyone up.

"Aominicchi... what's going on?" Kise asked tiredly, sitting up in his bag. Nigou walked inside the hideout and began barking to help wake every one up.

"Get your ass up Kise! We need to find Tetsu!"

"Kuroko?" Midorima sat up, just waking up.

"Kuro-chin is gone~?"

"Yeah! We have to go find him! Everyone get up!" And so everyone did get up as fast as they could, sensing that it was an emergency. They didn't have time to get anything else other than their weapons before going out, "Show us the way little guy." Aomine told Nigou who barked in response before taking of running, everyone following.

Nigou followed Kuroko's scent this time, leading them to the skyscraper with the many, many floors. They followed Nigou up although they didn't expect him to go so far up.

"Why did Kurokocchi go so far up?" Kise panted as they followed the little pup.

"It doesn't matter! As long as we get to him on time!" They all hurried, climbing steps after steps. Finally they were relieved when Nigou stopped on the twentieth floor and began running... to a garden? When they reached the entrance, they were all shocked to see daylight creatures surrounding something on the ground... It couldn't be.

They quickly took out their weapons, killing the creatures before they even had a chance to attack. When the creatures turned into sand, they could finally see what they surrounded and just as they feared, it was Kuroko.

"Tetsu!" Aomine and everyone else quickly ran to the bluenette, more than happy to see that he's not harmed. Aomine took Kuroko into his arms, "Tetsu! Oi! Tetsu! Wake up!"

Nigou helped trying to wake Kuroko up by trying to lick the others hand. It was about a minute later before Kuroko started stirring in Aomine's arms. His neck was sore. Actually his whole body was, but mostly his neck. "Aomine-kun.." He mumbled, looking up at the other once his eyes opened.

"Tetsu!" Aomine immediately hugged the other tightly, not thinking that he might possibly be injured. The mere sight of Kuroko being still alive made him cry in happiness. "You're alive." Aomine mumbled as everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god, Kuroko is fine.

"Be careful Aomine, you might worsen his injuries." Midorima warned as Aomine slowly let go, "Sorry."

"How are you feeling Kuroko?"

"I'm.." Kuroko of course did not forget about his encounter with Ruby. What could he say about that? That he was used and betrayed again? No, he would just be complaining again. It was his fault that he always gets used as a pawn. "I'm fine.." He replied quietly, his voice hoarse.

He slowly sat up on his own, looking around. Even the beautiful flowers couldn't bring positivity to his situation. "Kurokocchi.. why were you up here? What happened?"

"Nothing," Kuroko answered immediately. "Nothing. Just please forget about it. I fell was all."

Nobody was convinced. "Then why-" Suddenly, a roar could be heard nearby.

"Save it for later. First we have to go back to the hideout." Midorima said as Murasakibara approached the bluenette, "Sorry Kuro-chin." Murasakibara picked the other up, carrying him bridal style.

Kuroko held onto Murasakibara and just nodded. He adding care that he got picked up. He just hoped he didn't slow them down. "Sorry for causing trouble…"

"Don't worry about it Tetsu. We'll talk about it later." Aomine assured as the group ran down the stairs. They were fast but couldn't go full sleep because of Kuroko. They encountered a couple of creatures on the way but it was nothing they couldn't take care of.

"Hurry!" The sun was about to set down just as they had entered the hideout and closed the door. Luckily they made it in time just before night would fall. "We made it..." Aomine panted, holding onto the door he closed.

"How did you guys know where I was?" Kuroko asked.

"Nigou led us." Furihata informed the other. "Came here and started barking loudly, then lead us to the building... Why were you there?"

"No reason." He answered bitterly.

Nigou whined, walking up to Kuroko when Murasakibara placed him down on his sleeping bag. The little puppy jumped up on Kuroko's waist, reaching out to lick the other's face.

"There must be a reason you went up there. I mean who would go all the way up to the twentieth floor." Aomine sat down on the floor, facing the bluenette. Meanwhile, Midorima took out his first aid kit. "Let me check up on you."

"I just wanted to see the view." Kuroko mumbled, staying still so Midorima could check up on him. "You know... are we doing the right thing? Following Ruby and all?"

"Huh?" They were all a bit confused by the question, "Of course we are. We want to get Akashi back."

"...Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry, it was just a random question." Kuroko said, looking down at his lap as Midorima did the check up.

Kuroko seemed really out of it... it felt as if he had a lot on his chest. Something big must have happened and by Kuroko's strange behavior, they couldn't help but think that he met someone. As Midorima began checking the bluenette, he noticed something missing, "Where is your pendant?" Did it fall off?

"Must've fallen off." Kuroko muttered, avoiding the question. "I don't care. It was my parents' anyway.." He couldn't tell them Ruby used him again because if he did, he'd have to tell the whole story and they'd find out he doesn't care about the group anymore.

"But wasn't that important to you? You always had it with you at all times." Shouldn't they go out and search for it? "We still have some time before it's completely dark outside."

"I said I don't care! Drop it, okay?" Kuroko clenched his hands before petting Nigou to calm himself. "I don't want to go back out there and search for a stupid pendant."

Aomine stared in surprise and shock, "But you cherished it. It was your keepsake." He couldn't believe Kuroko would call it 'stupid' or raise his voice as loud as he did.

"It's alright Aomine." Midorima tried to calm down the situation, Kuroko seemed as confused and unstable as ever. "We should all take this time to rest. We had a long day today." Nobody could disagree at that.

"You can tell us when the time is right." He told Kuroko as he examined his neck. Luckily thee were no injuries so Kuroko didn't need anymore bandages. Once he sleeps this off, he'll feel better, at least physically.

Kuroko didn't respond and just laid down with Nigou by his chest. He didn't want to tell them when the time was right. He didn't want to tell them at all. He heard Nigou whimper so he just patted his head. "Go to sleep Nigou." He whispered, closing his own eyes. But he couldn't sleep. His mind was just thinking about what happened with Ruby over and over. The being that he loved like he had Ogiwara betrayed him and used him. He hated him because he had no choice but to forget Ruby. It wasn't fair. Nothing was ever fair. All of his life, all of the group's lives and even ruby's, they never got choices. They were always used without anyone thinking of their feelings. It wasn't just humans who were disgusting. Everything was. At the moment, Kuroko just didn't care.

That night had been the longest night of Kuroko's life. His eyes were clouded and his mind was as confused as ever. So much pain... so, so much. Kuroko turned in his sleep, watching the peaceful sleeping faces of Aomine and the rest. It really is a bliss to be ignorant... the less you know, the better. If Kuroko didn't reunite with Ruby today then... would he still be as passionate as he was before? He wanted to find both Ruby and Akashi, he never wanted to do something more but... now he didn't know.

With only maybe an hour or two of sleep (definitely not in a row), Kuroko watched as the sun rose outside. So it was already morning and he was still troubled. What could this mean? Was he ever going to find an answer?

He heard Nigou whining, probably wanting to go outside. Kuroko sighed and slowly sat up. "If you run off again, I'm not chasing you." He said as he got up, letting Nigou outside. It was pretty cold outside…

The puppy barked, but this time didn't run away. He went far enough to do the number one before returning back to Kuroko, "Woff! Woff!"

Kuroko leaned down, patting him softly on the head. "At least I can rely on you." He said, picking Nigou up before going back inside the hideout. He looked at the others who were sleeping peacefully. How he wished he could've done the same... He went over to Midorima, setting Nigou down before gently shaking the other.

The greenhead slowly opened his eyes, noticing Kuroko above him, "Kuroko?" He sat up, rubbing his eyes before putting on his glasses, although he still had his sleeping night hat on.

"Midorima-kun... why are we going after Ruby?" Kuroko asked quietly. "I mean... He left us. It's obvious he doesn't care and.. He told me before that when his eyes are both golden, Akashi-kun is gone. I don't think Akashi-kun really exists any more."

What? Akashi doesn't exist anymore? What was Kuroko saying? What's more, why did he suddenly wake him up to ask this? But as a doctor and a good friend, Midorima couldn't help but try to help the other. "Akashi is a part of our group... a family member, so it's only natural we would want him back. After seeing him going through what he did while he was still here, we can't help but want to do something."

"But he doesn't exist. It's just Ruby and.." Kuroko trailed off. He couldn't tell them he didn't care. He didn't want the group to feel hurt like he did. "I just... don't know if this is the right thing to do.."

Midorima closed his eyes, "I can't promise you that we'll bring Akashi back if we try, but if we don't do anything then nothing will change. If you try then there is a chance but if you don't do anything then there is no hope at all." Midorima opened his eyes again and smiled, "So said one stubborn man." He looked over at Aomine. Even though he only thinks about boobs, he still has smarts in him.

"I guess that's true.." Kuroko sighed, looking around. "I just don't want you guys hurt.. If we can't get Akashi-kun back, will you blame me?" He asked hesitantly.

Midorima's brow rose, "Why would we blame you? It's our own choice and we're all responsible for our own lives. We won't blame you for anything. On the contrary, if something happened to you, then I would blame myself for telling you not to give up."

"But... what if because of me, we lost Akashi-kun? Even if you loved me like you said you did, you'd hate me wouldn't you? You've known Akashi-kun longer than me, and he's suffered more than me. He doesn't deserve all this and you'll blame me, wouldn't you?" Kuroko just went on and on. He wouldn't give up on this it seems.

"No, I wouldn't." Despite Kuroko thinking that way, Midorima knows that's not the case. "If you're here blaming yourself then there's no way it's your fault that Akashi disappeared. You feel guilty and if you had a choice you would do anything to bring him back, at least that's what I think. If you're thinking that way, then there's no way it's your fault. Akashi disappeared because of circumstances none of us could control. It's not your fault Kuroko."

"But.. If I had just remembered..!" Then Ruby wouldn't have felt betrayed and would not have used them and admitted that he hated him. "If I had remembered, none of this would have happened."

Remember? Kuroko really has a lot on his mind, "'Only if I could have done that', "If I wouldn't have done it, 'If I remembered'. People tend to blame themselves even if they're not in the wrong at all. I'm not saying it's meaningless but I tend to think of those people as the ones who care the most." Was he clear enough?

"If they regret a certain thing they did or didn't do then it shows that they care and love the other person very much. Thse type of people are very caring and have a warm heart." Of course, Kuroko falls into that as well.

"But.. That applies for people who aren't at fault. I am." Kuroko mumbled. "I swear, everything would've changed if I had just remembered.."

Midorima noticed Kuroko's troubled expression, "No, I'm sure it applies to you as well. I know we haven't known each other for long but I can confidently say that you're not at fault. You're that type of a person Kuroko."

"But I'm not. I can't be. It really is all based on me. Ruby's mad at just me, not you guys. I betrayed him without meaning to. It's me." Kuroko argued.

The green head couldn't help but sigh, "But that still doesn't change the fact that we want to find Akashi. Whether you blame yourself or not is up to you, but believe my words when I say that you're not at fault. At least that's how I see it."

"...Okay. I guess I can't change your views." Kuroko sighed, looking away. "I hope no one gets hurt... That's all I ask."

"Idiot..." Kuroko was startled when he heard Aomine's tired voice. The tanned teen glanced at him before looking back at the ceiling, "Mornin."

"..Morning, Aomine-kun." Kuroko murmured, looking away from the other. "Um.. should I just wake everyone up?"

"It's fine. They'll wake up soon." Midorima said before taking off his night cap, meanwhile Aomine yawned, stretching.

Kuroko looked between them all before nodding. He decided to go over to Aomine for someone to talk to. "Why did you wake up saying idiot?"

"Because you are one. isn't that obvious?" Aomine teased.

"How am I an idiot..?" Kuroko asked with a small frown.

"You don't believe in us. It's that simple."

"What do you mean? I do it's just.. I don't want you guys hurt." Kuroko mumbled.

"And that's why you don't believe in us. You don't think we're strong enough to defend ourselves." Aomine said.

"No, that's not it. I'm just worried! You guys are strong, I know this, but.." Kuroko couldn't help but worry.

"Exactly! So don't worry about it. We should be the ones worrying about you, with your weak stamina and weak weapons." Aomine pointed out.

"Just because I'm weak doesn't mean I can't do anything." Kuroko narrowed his eyes. "And just because you're strong doesn't mean I don't have to worry. You could be immortal and I'd still worry."

"That's not my point. I'm saying that we're worrying about you more than you think." Aomine scratched the back of his head. "You just have to... let us help you. If we work together then there's a higher chance of survival for us all."

"But should we even try anymore? Akashi-kun may not even exist anymore! And Ruby he.. he's not the same as Akashi-kun.." Kuroko still wasn't sure if he could ever tell the group that Ruby thinks them as unwanted, as pawns he can use like the scientists did.

"Then what do we do? Do we live in fear for the rest of our lives? If we give up on Akashi and that Ruby thing now, then what would we do? I'll tell you what, we would just hide like rats and hunt for food until it would eventually run out. I don't know if we can eat the monsters but I sure as hell will not be eating any humans." There is no future for them.

"Instead of that, we should find Akashi and try to fix everything. Maybe if we... get rid of that Ruby thing, then everything will return back to normal. I mean if the leader goes then so do the underlings."

"Ruby has feelings too! He may not be human, but he has feelings and memories. You'd basically be killing one of your own." Kuroko didn't know why he was defending the person who used him and said he hated him, but he couldn't just let Aomine say these things about Ruby.

"We should just try to convince Ruby that he doesn't need to continue what he's doing to save the world. We don't have to kill him."

Aomine lowered his head, "Yeah you're right. Sorry." He looked up, "Then we save them both. How about that? Maybe we can find a way where they could both live together?" He didn't know how that would work but surely they could think of something.

"They lived together before. Ruby only came out because he wanted to protect Akashi-kun and fix how things are. He's not.. he's not cruel.." But as he said that, he could only remember how Ruby called him a pawn and said he hated him.

"Then we can do it! We just tell Ruby that he doesn't need to change the world as you said!" Aomine's determination rose, "So now we have a new goal. Find Akashi and Ruby, save them and rebuild the world."

"It's not going to be easy. He wouldn't listen to me before and he knew me the closest. Even if we all tried.. look, he just won't listen. He's convinced that practically every human has to pay for their greed." Kuroko explained.

"Then we'll just have to change his mind." Aomine was really simple minded, "Things will only change if you try, if you don't do anything then nothing will change at all. So what do you say we do our best to save everyone?" Aomine made his left hand into a fist, waiting for a fist bump.

Kuroko just looked at his fist before sighing. "Aomine-kun.. I'm telling you, it's not that easy... I want to try, but.. you guys might get hurt.."

"Not if we work together. We can do it, I'm sure of it. You just have to trust us."

Kuroko was silent for a moment before sighing once more and slowly bumping the other's fist. "Okay.. but please, be careful.."

"Okay, you too. You never know what kind of a pan is waiting for you in the future. That's why we'll all survive~" Aomine teased.

"I told you, I don't like pans.." Kuroko mumbled before slightly smiling. "I guess.. there's a good chance we'll survive.."

"I'd say it's our best shot." Aomine glanced beside him to see a still sleeping Kise. He smirked before throwing himself on top of the blonde, "Together, we can do anything!"

"W-waa!?" Kise woke up at the weight on top of him. "Aominicchi?! Is something going on?"

"No, he's just being an idiot." Kuroko said with a soft sigh.

"Oi!" Aomine grumbled as the others slowly woke up.

The green head sighed, "Then instead of fooling around you should be getting ready. Today we begin our search for Akashi."

"Akashicchi?" Kise sat up when Aomine moved away, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Where would we even begin?"

Midorima looked over at Murasakibara who nodded, "We're going to the Akashi Corporation."

"Back where it all began." Midorima said.

"Akashi corporation? Is it even still standing?" Kuroko wouldn't know since he didn't know what it looked like, but the group probably did.

"It is. In fact you could even see it from here." The skyscraper was one amongst the tallest in Kyoto, if not the tallest one.

Kuroko looked outside before looking at the group. "What if he's not there? Any other ideas?" He kind of hope the wasn't because he didn't know if he should see Ruby again.

"No, he'll definitely be there. I mean, where else could he be?" Aomine leaned onto Kuroko, "Do you see that skyscraper there? That's the one." Aomine pointed towards the tallest skyscraper you could see from their window. Kuroko looked at it and though... What if Ruby is watching them right now? From that building.

"What.. what would we do when we get there? What if we can't change his mind?" Kuroko asked worriedly, looking back at Aomine.

"Don't worry Tetsu. You said it yourself, that Ruby is also a part of us. If so then he'll listen to what we have to say right?" Aomine tried to assure but Kuroko still couldn't help but doubt. However, suddenly they heard a whispering sound behind them, quickly looking back.

"Bzzzz... T-Tha... Pendant... Bzzzzzzz." They all noticed that something was lighting up inside Kuroko's bag. The light was switching on and off along with the sound.

Kuroko hurried over to his bag, wondering what it could be. The tablet... it was turning on and off!... It was turning on and off? How? He thought it had no battery? He frowned, watching it do the same thing over and over. Would he finally find out what the pendant does?

"Bzzzzz... onl-... son...bzzzzzz...bzzzzzzzzz... my..." The tablet kept on switching on and off until it finally shut off completely. They all stared as the screen became completely black. "What was that?" Aomine asked as Kuroko stared at the black screen.

"A video.. my dad left behind. Murasakibara-kun and I watched it but just as it started talking about my pendant.. it shut off." Kuroko let the tablet go, just staring at the dark screen. "Why did it..?"

"Video by your dad? What was on it?" Kise and Aomine wondered while Murasakibara was in thought, "How did you charge it Kuro-chin?"

"I didn't charge it. I don't know why it did that." Kuroko answered before looking at Aomine. "It was.. just a video he made when I was little.."

"So home videos?" Aomine asked while Murasakibara walked up to the bluenette. "Can I see Kuro-chin?"

"Sure I guess.." Kuroko nodded and handed the tablet to Murasakibara.

The giant took the tablet to examine but didn't find anything suspicious, "Hmmm~ Nothing."

"Okay..?" Kuroko gave Murasakibara a weird look. Did he think someone somehow charged it or something?

"So what exactly was on the videos? Was it you and your dad playing sports or something?" Kise asked. It was pretty hard to imagine Kuroko playing a sport since he seemed to weak and small.

"Not exactly…"

Since nobody except for Kuroko and Murasakibara knew what was on the video, Kuroko decided to fill everyone in. He told them about his parents' involvement in everything, about Ruby, Akashi, them and him. It was a long complicated story that connected all of their fates together.

"I'm sorry." Aomine didn't know what to say. Finding out that Kuroko was an experiment subject, more importantly that of his parents... it was hard.

"And the pendant your father gave you also serves a purpose?" Midorima curiously asked. It was an unusual pendant. No pendant could ever move or shine by itself.

"Apparently but we don't know what it does. It turned off before we could figure out." Kuroko said. "But.." He took a deep breath. "Ruby.. wanted it for some reason. He said something about… becoming more powerful or something.. and he took my pendant."

"So you did meet him on the roof yesterday?" Aomine asked as Kuroko nodded. "You should have told us! You could have been seriously hurt!"

"It doesn't matter. It already happened and you couldn't have stopped it." Kuroko said. "Look, I don't want to talk about what happened. I was just saying that's where my pendant went."

"But-" Aomine noticed Kuroko's worried expression, deciding to leave it alone, folding his arms. Meanwhile, Midorima thought about the pendant, "I don't see how the pendant could 'make him stronger', but then again we know nothing about it. If it were me, I would say the pendant would be... some kind of a key that unlocks 'that' which will give him power."

"Probably... but if he gets stronger then we really will lose Akashi-kun. If you're going to move, you have to go now." Kuroko pointed out.

"You're right, we already lost a lot of time." Midorima stood up while everyone else did the same. Luckily it was still morning so they could still go out. The sooner they go, the better.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes!" Kise responded. They had to get moving if they wanted to help save Akashi.

"I guess.." Kuroko went over to his bag, slowly picking it up. He really didn't want to meet Ruby again.. But he had to help Akashi.

The group left the hideout and began their long journey towards the skyscraper, the building wasn't that far but it wasn't close either. However, unlike the first time, this time they had Furihata and Nigou tagging along, with the small puppy barking at Kuroko's feet for attention. "Woff! Woff!"

"You have to be quiet Nigou. You might bring those scary day monsters." Kuroko said, leaning down to pick up Nigou and pet him.

The little puppy whined, sneaking up under Kuroko's shirt to hide.

"It's okay.." Kuroko patted the pups head and sighed. "So, how will we even convince Ruby?"

"I don't know." Midorima answered as the rest thought about the journey. This wasn't going to be easy.

"I see.." Maybe the group really could convince him. They've been around Ruby longer after all.

"I'm sure we can manage." Kise assured with a smile.

"Yeah! We can do it!" Aomine cheered.

"Yeah!" Kuroko sighed at Kise and Aomine's enthusiasm. How could they have so much energy?

The tanned teen walked over to Kuroko and placed his arm on the other, "You know, apart from the boring offices, there's also a swimming pool inside. It was cool to swim in it, especially since it could make waves on it's own."

"Swimming pool? It probably wasn't cleaned in a long time you know... and besides, we don't have time to swim." Kuroko looked up at Aomine.

"Yeah... It's just that when I was young, everything was so big and sparkly." He remembered his father holding his little hand as he looked up at the people wearing suits and lab coats.

"That's true.." Kuroko said, glancing up at Aomine's expression before looking around. "If the pool is clean.. I wouldn't mind swimming in it. But we are on an important mission so.." He whispered to Aomine.

"Really you would!?" But then he realised, "But it's probably really dirty... Good luck Tetsu."

"I said if it's clean." Kuroko smiled. "Only if it's clean. And if it is, maybe we can sneak our way in for a quick dip."

Aomine stared before a smile popped up, "Deal! It'll be just like good old times!" He began moving to the sides, dragging Kuroko around with him while humming.

"Yes." Kuroko was glad Aomine was happy again and just went along with him. "Just don't let the others know. They probably won't like it if we wasted time."

"Yeah, yeah I got it. Let's hurry up." He began walking quickly and dragged Kuroko along with him. "Come on slowpokes!"

"Slow down Aominicchi!" Hasn't the other ever heard of saving energy? The Akashi corporation was a huge building! For all they know, Ruby could be at the top!

Aomine ignored the blonde and continued on running. However, finally when they reached the building, Aomine wasn't so enthusiastic as he and Kuroko panted in exhaustion.

"We didn't have.. to run here.." Kuroko sighed, trying to regain his breath. "My stamina still isn't too good you know.."

"Think of it as a race... and I won." Aomine teased while panting.

"You didn't say it was a race until now. Cheater." Kuroko huffed. "We should wait for the others now."

"Okay-" Suddenly a loud growl startled both of them, turning around quickly to see a group of creatures standing by the entrance. The creatures growled as if protecting their territory. Aomine immediately grabbed his weapons, ready to fight. "Where did they come from?"

"The building obviously but..." Did this mean Ruby really was inside? "At least this means that Ruby is most likely inside." Kuroko said, moving close to Aomine since he had the more efficient weapon. "See, we shouldn't have ran off!.."

"Che! I'm glad I ran off! There's more for me to take out!" Suddenly the creatures began their attack, running towards the two humans before jumping and preparing to bite. However, Aomine wasn't going to go down that easy. The tanned teen used his super powered gloves to punch each and every other monster while protecting Kuroko as well.

"Ridiculous." Kuroko sighed under his breath as he watched Aomine worriedly. It was strange to see Aomine hurt these creatures, creature he knew that used to be failed experiments, but not feeling that much regret or sadness. Maybe because this is for self defense.

As he watched the numbers diminish since there wasn't a lot to begin with, Kuroko noticed a familiar creature. It was the one with the bag on its leg. "Aomine-kun, don't hurt that one!"

"Huh?" Aomine had killed one creature when he heard Kuroko raise his voice, "What? I can't let them go or they'll eat us!" And just as he said it, the creature with the bag on its leg jumped, but instead of killing it, Aomine pushed it away. As the creature fell on the ground, it cried in pain.

Kuroko looked around to make sure no other creatures had their eyes on him before quickly going to the creature. "Are you okay? Why are you attacking us?" After the creature had saved him more than once..

However, the creature suddenly growled, swiftly moving forward to attack, managing to bite Kuroko's arm. "Tetsu!" Aomine quickly rushed to the bluenette when he heard the painful scream, managing to push the creature away. The creature growled as Aomine looked down at Kuroko, "Tetsu!" Kuroko's hand was bleeding heavily as the bluenette panted in pain. "Hold on! Megane will be here any minute!"

For some reason Kuroko didn't feel much pain. It was there but... He just couldn't register it. Is this what people call "in shock"? Why did the creature bite him? He had been saved so many times by the creature, but it turned against him. He held his hand close to himself as he saw the others coming in the distance.

They got out their weapons as soon as they saw the creatures. Although Furihata, since he didn't have a weapon, just picked up Nigou and kept his distance. Midorima had saw Kuroko's condition and went to help him while the others went to help Aomine.

Seeing Kuroko's state, Midorima quickly took out his medical equipment, "Hold on Kuroko, I have to stop the bleeding." The doctor hurried as blood poured down Kuroko's hand. At this rate Kuroko could potentially die of blood loss.

"It didn't... it didn't mean to bite me.." Kuroko said over and over, as if he was trying to convince someone. But not Midorima. Himself. He was trying to convince himself that the creature was not a monster like they originally thought. It had feelings too. Then why.. did it bite him?

"Watch out!" Aomine warned as Kise moved away just in time to dodge an attack from one of those monsters. There weren't many of them left, but they were eager not to give up. The creature with the bag growled as it went on to attack Murasakibara, the giant defending himself with his weapon.

Since the creature was focused on Murasakibara, Aomine took the chance to do a surprise attack, knocking the creature down full force. It cried in pain, laying down on the ground with no more strength to stand up.

When he heard the cry, Kuroko looked up, hoping it wasn't the creature. But it was. The creature with the bag was done. No, he said not to hurt it! It didn't mean to bite him! "He's hurt, we have to help him!" He said, turning to Midorima.

"You're the one hurt!" Midorima stressed as he tended to Kuroko's wound. However, the rest of the group heard Kuroko's wishes and stopped. Since there were no more monsters left, they surrounded the one that was still alive.

"So we let it live?"

"I don't know..."

The group didn't know what to do as the creature panted on the ground, focusing his eyes on the bluenette. Out of nowhere, they were all startled when the creature suddenly jumped up and ran towards Kuroko. How much more strength did it have?

"Tetsu!" It was getting closer and closer to Kuroko and Midorima, opening its mouth to attack. It was only inches away apart from Kuroko and the doctor until it's eyes suddenly widened. Kuroko watched as Aomine and Kise pierced the monster, killing it as it vanished into the air.

"No.. no! Why.." The monster really did try to attack him. Why would it try to kill him when it saved him so many times? Ruby couldn't have ordered it to kill him right? Ruby was not heartless, just like how the monster wasn't.

Furihata came over with Nigou who was whimpering, trying to get out of his arms. He managed to get free and ran to Kuroko, whining when he smelled and saw all that blood.

"Kurokocchi are you okay?" Kise asked in worry.

"I'm fine.. I'm fine. A little light headed.. But I'm okay." But the creature wasn't. Kuroko just needed to know why.. why did he attack him with the intent to kill? "I just.."

"Did you know that monster?" Furihata asked.

"Kind of.." Kuroko mumbled. "He never hurt me before. He saved my life actually."

"Saved your life?" Kise and everyone else were surprised. A monster saved Kuroko's life? "I'm not doubting you Tetsu but... they're still eating human meat and hunting us to kill. It's natural that we're just pray to them."

"Don't say you don't doubt me then immediately doubt me! It did save me before, when I was ambushed by the day monsters. I wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for him!" Kuroko didn't know why he felt so defensive. The creature had turned on him, just like Ruby had.

"I believe you but..." They were still monsters. There's no changing that.

Everyone was quiet as Midorima finished treating Kuroko's wound, placing a huge bandage on his arm, wrapping it up to create a replacement cast. "I'll need to wrap one around your neck." After wrapping up the arm, he had to hang it by the back of Kuroko's neck, creating a perfect replacement for a cast, almost perfect.

"I hate this." Kuroko muttered. Why does he keep getting injured? It's really aggravating him. Was he really this weak? Did he really only survive because of Ruby? "All that training for nothing! My stamina still sucks, I'm super weak, and my misdirection almost seems useless!"

"Kurokocchi... it's okay, you have us!"

"I know but I can't have you guys risk your own lives to save me! I need to pull my own weight but now look at me. Useless, in a replacement cast."

"But it couldn't be helped! You were taken by surprise. Everyone would be if suddenly a creature that protected them, attacked them instead." It was unexpected.

"It takes strength to survive an injury of such an extend and still be conscious." Midorima pointed out.

"No. It's just luck." Kuroko sighed and slowly stood up. He was still conscious, sure but he was also light headed. "Thanks though.. I appreciate you fixing me up and.. saving me from almost getting killed." He said to Midorima then Aomine and Kise.

"Don't worry about it Tetsu, but are you sure you're good to go? We can go back?"

"No. We have to find Ruby and get Akashi-kun back. We can't lose them." Kuroko said. "He has to be here. He wouldn't have guards here if he wasn't."

They hesitated but in the end everyone agreed. "Alright, then let's go." Kise and Aomine walked beside Kuroko, in case he tripped. They entered through the huge hole which was the entrance and when they did, they noticed just how vast the skyscraper was. There was a reception desk, elevators, restaurants and so on. Nobody would notice that there were any experiments taking place here years ago. Although now, everything was destroyed.

"Any idea on what floor it's on? Is there anyway to get down?" It would make more sense to be down lower away from the public eye, but you never know. "Or is it really up?"

"Nah~ I don't remember seeing any labs or anything like that way up." All of the offices were upstairs, along with the pool. Looks like they won't be swimming after all. "Oi blondie, do you remember?"

"No, of course not." Kise sighed, obviously trying to remember. "Midorimicchi? Murasakibaricchi?"

"No."

"Hmmm~" Meaning a no.

"Then down it is." And so everyone decided to go downstairs since underground would be the safest place to hide such a huge project. Luckily they found stairs and went down, although Kise and Aomine had to help Kuroko down, they made it to the first floor. "-1. There are... -10! There are 10 underground floors!" It wasn't as much as the skyscraper where they found Kuroko but still, 10 floors is a bit too much for underground.

"Being underground is dangerous enough. I hope it isn't 9 more floors under..." Kuroko sighed. Being underground really made him nervous. Just like back in that tunnel they found or the hideout Imayoshi had which was above the creature's nest. All those situations have not turned out good.

"I hope so too. I'm getting the creeps." Aomine shivered, but suddenly, they could hear howls under them. "Please don't tell me that..."

"There are more monsters? Yeah." Fighting underground in an enclosed space with no escape is no good.

"What do we do?" Furihata asked, holding Nigou again so the pup didn't run ahead or away. He and Kuroko didn't have any good weapons against the monsters, not to mention that Kuroko was also injured. "Do we just.. continue on?"

"Maybe we could find a way to evade them?" Aomine thought.

"Mine-chin is stupid~"

"Oi!"

"Calm down, calm down. I don't think we have a choice but to go-ssu."

Midorima glanced over at Furihata and Kuroko. They had one injured member, one powerless member and a dog. The stakes were high. "Alright but stay behind us Kuroko, Furihata."

"Fine." Again, Kuroko felt useless, being injured and all. This meant the group would be worrying about him most when they fought.

"U-Um.. at least we can keep Nigou safe, right?" Furihata said to Kuroko who looked at Nigou. He softly petted the dog with his good hand and nodded. "Okay. Let's do that then."

The group ventured down to -2 and found out that the whole floor was parking space for cars. They did see monsters in the distance, so they hid behind a car that was parked on one of the spots. "There's too many for us to pass." Aomine counted about ten.

"Maybe we can pass them that way?" Kise pointed to the right.

"Are you crazy? No!"

"Why not?"

Both were surprised when Murasakibara suddenly stood up. "Murasakibaracchi?"

As the purple head stood up with his height, it was pretty easy for the monsters to see him from the far. They all ran towards the group. "Go down. I'll take care of them."

"Murasakibaricchi! There are so many, even you can't handle them on your own!" Kise tried to insist.

"Whether we are going or not, we have to decide quick." Kuroko said when he saw the creatures getting closer.

"I'll come when I take care of them. Go." Murasakibara went towards the creatures, taking out his weapon. The group hesitated but ran towards the door never the less. "Don't die on us!" Aomine said as they all ran and closed the door behind them.

"He'll be fine.. I hope." Kise had tried to assure everyone but it was pretty hard to do. "L-Lets just keep going!"

The continued down to the next floor which luckily didn't have that many monsters. Maybe Ruby thought the first group of monsters would be too much for them? But Ruby knew they were determined and strong... this couldn't be it.

As predicted, they took out the small group of monsters down easily, "Piece of cake! That clears -3!"

"We should be careful. He may not be Akashi, but he still knows how strong you guys can be." Kuroko warned.

"We'll be fine Kurokocchi! All the monsters were on the first floor, and Murasakibaricchi probably finished off most of them already!"

"Yeah! Now let's go onto -4." And they did, they ran down the stairs onto -4 which was another parking lot, although this one had a big surprise in store for them. A large lizard creature stood tall in front of the door, surveying the area with both his eyes and tongue that was sticking out.

"I ever saw that creature! Ever!" All of the creatures so far were wolf like! Well, except for the giant on Mt. Fuji.

"Che! We can't have him hold us up! it's only the 4th floor!" Aomine grumbled, jumping up on a car. "I'll take care of this one."

"Be careful! You don't know what it could do." Kuroko warned as the group headed to the next stairway, gaining the lizards attention. But Aomine was already drawing its attention away, letting the group go past. "What was that? I've never saw that one before.."

"Watch out!" Midorima pushed Kuroko and Fujirawa just in time before the doors could fall on them. They fell onto the ground but when they saw the door, they were shocked when they noticed that it was melting? "It's spitting acid." Midorima said as a loud crash could be heard behind them, the monster roaring.

Now the group was even more worried about Aomine but they had to keep going. They got up, running down to the next floor so the lizard didn't have a chance to shoot acid at him again.

Surprisingly the next floor was empty but it wasn't like they weren't cautious. They went up to the next doors and without any problems went on. Strange... not even one monster to be seen, but it's not like they complained. They've reacted the 6th floor down but this time is did have creatures in it, ten in fact.

However, they ere creatures the group has never seen before. Large white frogs, the same size of a human, hopped around in front of the next door. heir bloody red eyes surveyed the area as the group hid behind a pillar.

"It's my turn now. Make sure they make it to the tenth floor safely Kise." Midorima pat Kise on the shoulder.

"Be careful Midorimicchi... you don't know what they could do." These creatures must've been either failed experiments that had been kept away and someone let them out, or they had still been used as experiments... either way, they had to be unstable in some way.

The doctor nodded, "Go!" He said as he began shooting at the creatures, gaining their attention. The group ran for it, quickly running towards the door and when they made it, they immediately closed them. Midorima watched them leave with a smile, remembering Takao. Without his sacrifice, the group would have never made it where they are now. "Now it's my turn." He looked up, shooting at the creatures.

The group continued on with Kise as their only defense. There were still three more floors before they reach the tenth floor. They had to try sneaking around if they wanted all of them to get through.

The next floor was empty so they rushed down to the eighth floor. The good news was that this floor didn't have that many monsters. The bad news was that the creatures looked worse than the last. They were mostly like giant snakes but their heads had been replaced with other various types of animal heads. A giant snake with the head of a lion is not something anyone wanted to mess with.

"They look quick.." If they tried sneaking around and get caught, it would be the end of it. "I might need to leave you guys here." Kise said however they stopped saying whatever they were going to say when they saw Nigou struggle out of Furihata's arms.

He looked up at Furihata before gently nuzzling his leg. Then he went to Kuroko and looked up at the other. Kuroko kneeled down, frowning a little. "What's the matter Nigou?" He asked even if the pup couldn't answer. Nigou used Kuroko's knee to reach up and lick the others cheek. He wagged his tail before moving away from Kuroko and the group. "Nigou..?"

The dog just looked at them before suddenly charging into the room. "Nigou!" Kise and Furihata stopped Kuroko from running after the pup. Nigou began barking, attracting the snake like creature's attention. When Nigou ran again, the monsters follow. The group took this chance to drag Kuroko towards the next floor and closed the doors behind them. "Nigou.." The pup was small but he was definitely brave. All Kuroko could do was hope for the small pup.

The next floor wasn't empty too. The last floor before the tenth floor would be filled with monsters... "Let's try sneaking this time?" Kise suggested. He couldn't leave these two alone to face Ruby after all. The other two just nodded. They had no choice. They didn't want to lose Kise either.

So they attempted sneaking past the monsters. Kuroko looked closely at the monsters. Did they even have eyes? They were just random eyeless beasts covered in scales that looked kind of icky. It was weird to see something like your average house cat covered in scales with no eyes. Why no eyes?

Sooner than he would have liked, Kuroko found out why. It didn't matter if the monsters couldn't see them. If they made the quietest of noises, they'd hear and charge after the sound. That's exactly what happened when Furihata had kicked a rock by accident. "Furihata-kun!"

Some of the creatures stopped at the new sound but most of them still charged at Furihata. "Hey!" This time it was Kise who yelled. He was running on the opposite side of the room, away from the door. The monsters turned, confused on where to go. Then Furihata suddenly ran, catching the monster's attention. But then Kise suddenly starting running too, confusing the monsters... Two people would be needed to distract these monsters.

"Go Kurokocchi!" Kise said, turning which way he was running while Furihata mirrored. The boy was obviously terrified but if running saved his life, that he could do. "We'll be fine!"

Kuroko was reluctant to go on. What could he do? He had no weapon, just an injured arm. How could he face Ruby alone? But he listened to Kise and just ran to the door, closing them behind him. He took a second to catch his breath and think about what was happening. Everyone was sacrificing themselves... With no hesitation at that. Even little Nigou played his part. Kuroko wiped at his eyes and slowly went down the steps. But this room was not like the others. It was like a corridor with many doors. Ruby could be in any of them!

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 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** *No Note*

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! WE FORGOT! ;3; Thank you so much for the wait! I hope you liked the chapter and please REVIEW if you can! :D It would help us A LOT!

Just a heads up in this super quick note! THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THE LAST ONE! :D HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR IT! XD SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WITH THE CONCLUSION! :D

 **This story is updated weekly.**


	25. File 25

**WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.**

 **Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.**

 **This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.**

* * *

"Bzzzzz... Bzzzzz... the-..." Kuroko was startled when he suddenly heard sound from behind but after listening in a bit closer he realized it was the tablet again. He quickly took off his bag and took the tablet out, surprised to see his father on the screen again.

"This pendant is a key. It's the key to my greatest masterpiece. A device I've build in order for Ignis to regain all of his strength. At the time I thought it was the solution to everything... It would allow us to possess the greatest weapon of them all! However... as time flew by I realized I had not created salvation, but complete disaster." Kuroko watched his father as he leaned his head on the table.

"If Ignis is not controlled and gains access to that device... we're all doomed... but that is why I've built something else... the de-...that devi-... second... can only be activated by my son. Not by myself, my wife or anyone else. Only my son. I've designed a security system that will react to his DNA and his DNA only. He is the key. If you are watching this video, then please find my son, Tetsuya Kuroko and have him help you unlock... de-...that... he and this pendant are the answer to everything."

Kuroko's father looked up, "If you were to ever encounter Ignis, please make sure my son is near you. We've fused Ignis's DNA with Tetsuya's, injecting it into him through his lips. When this chemical reaction makes contact with Ignis, it forces it to go back into it's host... Akashi Seijuro... I'm sorry..."

Small tears began dropping down the man's face, "I'm sorry for what I did to my son, to Seijuro and to all of the infants. I'm sorry..." Bam! And soon, the screen turned black yet again as the tablet switched off.

Kuroko just looked at the blank screen for a little longer. This answers a lot... It answers what his pendant does, why the kisses work, how his dad feels about everything...

He sighed, closing his eyes to take in the information. He had Ruby's DNA inside him? How strange... But it explained a lot. He opened his eyes and put the tablet away before starting to walk. With each door he passed, he looked inside to see what each room held. If Ruby wasn't inside, he didn't linger too long since he didn't want to see what's inside.

Kuroko closed his eyes, trying to think or feel in which room Ruby could be in. He had a lingering feeling it could be the last door to the right but he wasn't sure... then he heard it. The quiet and almost impossible to hear snarls and growls. He was sure now, Ruby was there.

He opened his eyes and walked up to the door. He took one deep breath before opening the door, but as soon as he did, he had to duck down for cover. Monsters of different types and sizes, thousands of them were in the room.

Kuroko looked around, watching as the monsters paced around while Ruby was standing by a machine, pressing buttons as if he knew exactly what to press. Could he sneak around these monsters and get to Ruby? Or would he just get torn apart with no hesitation?

He moved from one cover to the other, staying out of sight of the monsters while making his way towards Ruby.

"Soon..."

"Ours..."

"Eat..."

"Hungry..."

"Rule..."

The voices of the monsters echoed in Kuroko's mind as he slowly but carefully made his way to Ruby. Kuroko was quiet but the voices around him pierced his eyes, slowly giving Kuroko a headache.

"Smell..."

"Food..."

"Play..."

The voices echoes and echoes, making Kuroko fall down on the ground as he crawled down under a table. He held onto his ears tightly, trying to block out the sounds even though that was in vain.

He couldn't do anything just siting around, but the voices were overwhelming... His best shot was just getting to Ruby and getting them to stop. So he moved away from the desk and jumped up. He has to get to Ruby before the creatures noticed. So he ran even if it would bring attention to himself. But just as he was about to reach Ruby, he was stopped when he ran into... Nothing? He did stumble back in shock when he seemed to have ran into air. But it felt like a wall! He was just lucky his nose didn't break or something.

Now that the monsters and Ruby noticed him, Kuroko was in the spotlight. The creatures lunged themselves at the poor bluenette, only to find that they... couldn't? Why? They clawed and pushed at the invisible shield in efforts of getting their prey but it was in vain.

"Tetsuya?" Ruby narrowed his eyes at the person he hoped he wouldn't see again. "What are you doing here?"

Kuroko looked at Ruby, placing his hands against the invisible wall. Did Ruby set this up? "It's not just me... The whole group is here. We came to get you to come back. We don't want to part from you or Akashi-kun.."

Ruby swung his hand, making all of the creatures surrounding Kuroko back off. He took a few steps towards the bluenette, "I knew you would try to come but I hoped you wouldn't. Even after I told you that I didn't want to see you again... Are you that stubborn?"

"I am. I'm stubborn and stupid and naive. I'm an idiot in love, and I'm not going to give up on you and Akashi-kun so easily." Kuroko said, looking up at Ruby.

Ruby walked up to the bluenette until he was touching the glass or the shield separating them, "An unrequited love, one that will be the end of you." Ruby kneeled down to Kuroko's level, touching the shield, "Still, you came all this way, even sacrificing the group to achieve your goal. I'm surprised. I never expected Tetsuya to do such a thing,"

"I'll be honest. I did want to listen to your words, to stay away. It was because I was scared. But I went with the group because I had to make sure they weren't hurt. And since I've been injured, I was the only one who couldn't fight and came down here to meet you." Kuroko explained quietly. "Please Ruby, don't block the group out. I know you aren't human or anything like us, but please, it's going to literally kill them. They'll keep coming after you, I will too."

The redhead looked down before forming a fist. However, he didn't do anything but stand up and walk away, "Then perhaps the only way to make you stop is to kill you."

"I told you before... I don't care if you kill me. But please, don't hurt the group." Kuroko placed his good hand on the invisible shield/wall. Seriously what is stopping him? Some kind of force field?

Ruby sighed, looking up at the stairs where the door is, "It's not polite to eavesdrop." Ruby said as he pulled out a small iron nail from his pocket and threw it towards the door. Kuroko was startled, thinking for a second that it was aimed at him but when it passed him, he was surprised to hear the small needle reflect off of something.

Kuroko turned around, more than displeased to see Eiji standing up next to the door, "My~ And here I thought I would get to watch more of the pointless drama but oh well~ it is what it is." Eiji smirked as the creatures in the room ran to their new target. However, just like with Kuroko, they were pushed away by some kind of a shield surrounding the man.

Ruby narrowed his eyes as both he and Kuroko watched the man come down the stairs to them, "What a lovely reunion~ Or should I say a lovely second reunion." Eiji teased, walking up to Kuroko but stopping right there where the walls of the invisible wall were, "I feel for you Subject 11. What a pity to have such misfortune in love, but then again test subjects aren't suppose to be loved. If you give them love, then they get hope. if they have hope then they would want to escape~ It's a vicious cycle~"

"I don't want to hear words like that from a monster like you." Kuroko growled, glaring at Eiji. "What are you even doing here? I told you not to get close to Ruby. You won't hurt him or the group again."

"You won't tell me what to do mice." Eiji glared back at the bluenette. His eyes saw Kuroko as nothing more than a lab rat, which he is, pitiful. "I came here to finish what your father..." He looked down at Kuroko, "And everyone else working on the project hoped to accomplish. I'm carrying their hopes, dreams and dying wishes. I'll make their dreams take shape, unlike you garbage of a child they had. Dr. Kuroko and his wife had great hopes for you. Too bad you're a failure."

"I don't care what I am in your eyes. You're opinion doesn't matter to me." Kuroko said, looking back at Ruby. Just looking at Eiji made him angry. "Just leave Ruby and everyone alone. You're never going to achieve what you wanted to accomplish."

Eiji couldn't help but chuckle, "You're just like the Ice Queen. No wonder you're a failure. She was a very stubborn woman, although she did have talent and passion for what she did, unlike you."

"I'm telling you, you can't make me angry anymore. Your opinion does not matter to me. Not with how cruel I know you are." Kuroko said firmly. "Just leave." He may be injured but he'd fight Eiji if it came down to that. Even if he was for sure going to lose, he would still try.

The scientist sighed, growing tired of the lab rat in the cage. Instead he looked up at Ruby, "Now, you'll do what I say or subject 11 dies right here and now." The man threatened but Ruby didn't seem concerned, instead he chuckled in amusement, "Revenge? Are you seeking revenge for your brother?"

Eiji didn't want to show it, but a flinch couldn't be missed, "You will do what I say Ignis." His tone was low; his anger could be felt clearly in his voice. However, Ruby still didn't look concerned at all, "Choose your words wisely human. You're alive only for my amusement, nothing else." If it weren't for that, Ruby would have killed him long ago.

Eiji's anger was clear with every word Ruby said. He hit his hand against Kuroko's little invisible cage, "Do you really want this mice to die?"

"It won't matter. That won't work. He was willing to kill me just to get me to stop following him so threatening to kill me won't work. Besides, I won't let you do it so easily." Kuroko said, looking between Ruby and Eiji.

Both Eiji and Kuroko were surprised when Ruby suddenly began laughing, "Hahaha! Humans are so entertaining! Amusing! Amusing!" They watched in confusion as Ruby went on laughing, "Haha! You really think you can order me around? You? Just a simple human?" Ruby laughed as Eiji narrowed his eyes, "Don't test your luck." He grumbled as Ruby was brushing away his tears of laughter.

"Greedy human. You clearly don't understand the situation you're in." Ruby chuckled as he turned around, walking up to the large machine that was behind him. The monsters growled, ready should the two humans try to attack their master. Eiji and Kuroko warily but cautiously watched as the redhead walked over to the controls, "I'm in control here." And with a press of a button the barrier surrounding Kuroko was gone.

Kuroko touched the air, surprised to find the invisible wall gone. Now he could finally make it to Ruby but.. He shouldn't move just yet. Not like he could with Eiji there. He'd have to convince Ruby soon though. But first, Eiji was his problem.

However, before he could do anything, Kuroko was surrounded by the creatures who growled at him. Now that he was free meant that he could also be eaten and attacked. No... Ruby wouldn't do that...

Eiji clenched his fists. He was at a loss now that his only hostage and means of control was gone, "You..." Eiji's voice venomously spread through the air, making Ruby smirk in content, his smirk wide. "You're but a human. A lowly human who has no right to order me around."

Eiji glanced back at Kuroko, "Do you see this Subject 11? Are you really content to die here? If you love Ignis so much then you should do something to stop this madness."

"I am going to do something, but not because you said that." Kuroko said, glancing at Eiji again then looking around at the monsters. How is he supposed to do anything when he can get attacked? "Ruby.."

Kuroko slowly took a few steps closer, making the monsters tense up and growl louder. "Ruby please.. I know I'm just a human but we can still care. The group and I, we care and love you and Akashi-kun. We aren't like the scientists or my parents. We want to help and make sure you're safe.."

Ruby swung his hand, making the creatures step away from the bluenette, "We? Didn't you sacrifice your comrades to come here?"

"No… No, I didn't want them to fight alone. But I know them. I know they'll make it." Kuroko didn't know 100% but he knew they wouldn't give up, so there was a chance of them surviving. "And if you just come with me now, we can stop the fighting! Please Ruby, we don't mean to hurt you or Akashi-kun. We only want to help and keep you safe."

"Safe? You only want to hold me back. Prevent me from taking on my true form again." Ruby said as Kuroko neared, "It's still there Tetsuya. The hate from that day is still here." he pointed to his chest, "I will never forgive you."

"I told you, I didn't mean to leave! But I know you don't believe me, so I'm trying to make it up to you!" Kuroko insisted, moving close enough to grab one of Ruby's hands. "Ruby, I swear I didn't want to leave or forget. I feel terrible for putting you through that without even knowing. If I could go back, I would.. But I can't. So I'm trying to make it up to you now."

"You did forget, even without your parents intervention." Ruby hissed, thinking about the time they were both in the playroom... When Kuroko forgot about him, "You can never make it up to me. That day my faith in humanity died completely. I had hope that there were more humans out there like you, but I guess I was wrong. Everyone is the same. All of the humans are disgusting!"

"Ruby... Ruby, please.." Kuroko didn't know what to say. He didn't want to use "I was just a child" as an excuse. "What about the group? They stayed around for you and Akashi-kun all these years! They're risking their lives to help you! I may not be the human you thought I was anymore, but they are! Don't hurt them at least. Please."

Ruby narrowed his eyes, pushing Kuroko's hand away from his, "You know nothing about me Tetsuya." He hissed, "After you've left, I've entered a coma like state, or so they thought, but in all truth I was gathering strength needed to break free. The apocalypse is the result of my patience." He waited and waited, gathering strength until one day he released it all.

"I don't know those humans. I met them when I woke up from my sleep. My host knows them but I don't. They're complete strangers to me."

"But.." Kuroko stopped and just looked at Ruby. Was he really going to lose both Ruby and Akashi? He looked down, looking at his bandaged arm. He slowly unwrapped it just so it wasn't in the form of a cast any more, so now he could freely move that hand too.

Without another word he jumped forward, but he wasn't attacking. He was just hugging Ruby, holding on tight as if it was his lifeline. "Ruby, I swear they're good people. They're better than anything I could have been! If killing me gets you to forgive them and keep them from harm, do it. Just please don't continue fighting! Don't push Akashi-kun away from his family. You'll be hurting them rather than saving them!"

Ruby was startled by the tight hug, which even surprised the creatures that ran towards their master. However, Ruby stopped them before looking down at the bluenette who was holding onto him tightly. Ruby frowned, pushing Kuroko away only to see... tears? When he noticed them, his and Kuroko's eyes met. Desperate teal blue eyes stared into two golden ones.

Kuroko was crying... just like that day when they met again... that day in the playroom... no... even before that. When Kuroko would stumble as an infant and cry, Ruby was always there to pick him up and swing him in the air with his nonexistent arms. Putting him back to sleep before the humans in white cloaks took him away.

Day after day, each time they would be placed in the playroom, Ruby would always aim to please the child yet... he never loved a being as much as he did then. It was the first time he experienced care, worry and love for anyone. The child was so frail and small but yet it smiled and laughed as Ruby held it in the air. Such a small pure child... was now crying...

Without even knowing, Ruby soon found himself returning the gesture, embracing Kuroko tightly as the human embraced him back. The alien closed his eyes, holding Kuroko tightly, "It's okay Tetsuya. I'm here." A phrase he would always say when baby Kuroko was crying... Although now, finally after years, the baby Kuroko could actually hear him. Unlike in the past when he was just a stone. Although back then it wasn't needed. The touch and actions themselves conveyed all Ruby wanted to say.

Kuroko allowed himself to pretend that the warmth surrounding him would last forever. At any moment Ruby could turn and kill him if he so wished, but he didn't care. He just held on and cried, snuggling into Ruby's chest towards the warmth.

It was nice to know that Ruby at least cared when Kuroko showed his true feelings. He was tired of having his feelings casted aside but now... He had Ruby's full attention. It made it seem like he cared. "I'm sorry Ruby.. I loved you and I still do. I wish I didn't ever forget.. I'm so sorry for hurting you. I know I can't.. become a better person but.. at least I can still be a naive idiot and try.."

Ruby had his eyes shut tight as he hugged the bluenette. He listened to Kuroko's words but the warmth was much stronger than that. Even though he still can't forgive Kuroko for what he's done... he still loves that little infant that loved him back. That little pure, happy baby... "Idiot."

"Yes. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry." Kuroko repeated, taking this chance to look at Ruby. He looked peaceful with his eyes closed like that. He wasn't angry from before. "I won't leave you now. I promise."

But how does he know that? Kuroko is a human after all. He's no longer that little baby that knew nothing of the world... He's grown up. "You won't? How will I know that you'll keep your word?"

"Because I have nothing else to live for. I only have you, Akashi-kun and the group.. They're my only family now and I'll do anything to protect them." Kuroko said. "Please, don't push them away. They mean the same, even if you don't know them very well. They're risking their lives to help.."

Ruby moved away, opening his eyes. He was hesitant about trusting the humans and didn't plan on doing that, "Don't test your luck Tetsuya. I can't trust them." His hate for humans won't disappear just like that, if ever. "I'm wiling to let you near me but that's as far as I'll go."

"..Okay.." As long as Ruby didn't hurt them. He supposed that was good enough. But he was amazed that Ruby would at least let him in. "Are you still going to cast Akashi-kun aside?"

"I'm not 'casting him away', but saving him. Why can't you understand that Tetsuya?" Ruby asked with a bit of anger in his voice as Eiji scratched his head. Why was subject 11 so dumb? The scientist sighed.

"I know but.. I meant.." How could he explain this? He didn't want to lose Ruby's trust in him. "Akashi-kun wouldn't want to be kept away from the world no matter how bad it was.. he'd want to stay with the group and protect them because they're his family."

Ruby narrowed his eyes further, "I know what's best for him Tetsuya and if I say that this is the best choice then it's the best choice." The monsters around them began to growl, looking at Kuroko warily.

"Ehem, Ehem. If I may interrupt, I have a proposal for you both." Eiji did interrupt as both Kuroko and Ruby looked at him, "What do you want human?" Ruby asked as Eiji smiled.

"Since we find ourselves in my old laboratory and the place where everything began, I think it'll be a courtesy if I show you both around." Eiji glanced at Kuroko, "I could show you Dr. Kuroko's room and... his secret room."

Kuroko didn't want anything to do with Eiji but he was a little curious of the secret room... He looked up at Ruby, wondering what he would decide. He was the one who could control all the monsters after all.

"I have no interest in this room you speak of. Tell me one reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now?" The monsters narrowed in on the evil scientist who had no escape, "That would be a big mistake. You see, Subject 11's father was a wise man. He worked on a secret project which was unknown to all of us, and it's that project that will help you grow even stronger."

Ruby narrowed his eyes as Eiji went on, "It will enable you to reach new heights, however there is only one problem."

"And that is?"

"It can only be activated by Subject 11."

"I'm not activating anything." Especially if it made Ruby stronger. "I don't care about a secret room my father had. We don't need any of it and we don't want to get involved again. We aren't your test subjects any more."

Ruby narrowed his eyes at the bluenette, "Why not? Do you not want me to be stronger Tetsuya?" Ruby patiently waited for an answer.

"That's not it." Kuroko said quickly. "It's just... we don't know if he's telling the truth. He's just a crazy scientist after all. He could be lying about the whole thing."

Ruby acknowledged that there could be danger but if he could get stronger then he would try. After all, Eiji does want to make him stronger for his own selfish goals and besides, Ruby has his children who'll protect him, "I'm willing to take the risk and you'll help me, no, you have to help me." Ruby took Kuroko's hand.

"But.. I don't want you or Akashi-kun hurt.." Kuroko said softly, glancing at Eiji. He also didn't want Ruby to get more powerful... but it's hard to deny the other when he had the monsters on his side.

"I won't get hurt." Ruby assured before looking over at Eiji, "Lead the way." Eiji smiled before bowing, "As you wish." The monsters around him growled but moved nonetheless. Eiji waited as Ruby and Kuroko walked towards him before he led them to a door. Behind the door was a long hallway they went through, the monsters following them with each step of the way.

Kuroko really wasn't too sure about this. He didn't want to lose Akashi and maybe even Ruby to Eiji. He just wanted to get out of there with Ruby and the group. "Ruby.. I'm not sure about this.." He whispered nervously.

"What is there to worry about? I'm the one in control. That man is nothing more than a puppet playing to my wishes." Ruby smirked but Kuroko wasn't sure.

"I still worry because I care. I can't help it..." Besides, there might be something up Eiji's sleeve. You never know with the crazy scientist. "I don't like this. I don't want you or the children hurt."

Ruby smiled before leaning in closer, "Is that so?" He surprised Kuroko by placing a chaste kiss on his cheek, "Maybe you could become their mother?"

"W-What are you suggesting?" Kuroko asked with a small blush on his cheeks. "I can't be a mother, I'm a guy.."

"That's a human way of thinking and I dare say otherwise. You would become a good mother Tetsuya." He leaned in closer, moving to walk behind Kuroko so that he could embrace him from behind, "Do you want to breed with me?"

"B-Breed?" Kuroko asked with shock, looking back at Ruby. "But.. you're still in a male body and.. it's not possible to breed with two males.."

Ruby smirked. He enjoyed teasing the bluenette so he decided to continue on, "I'm not human Tetsuya. There are things you don't know about me. So~ What is your answer mother~?"

"I'd really like to know how you can help two males breed.." Kuroko said, looking ahead to save himself from embarrassment. "I-I mean, I wouldn't mind being a mother but.." Would this mean he'd have to give up Akashi for it?

Ruby placed his hands on Kuroko's cheeks, "You're warm." He teased, "How the breeding works is a secret. I won't tell you unless you agree." He sensed the hesitation, "But?"

"I just.. I think Akashi-kun would be happy if he could see them is all.." Kuroko murmured as an excuse. "Besides, I'd love being a mother, but I don't know the first thing about raising a child.."

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle, his Tetsuya was really too easy to tease. Although Ruby was telling the truth about breeding, he had second thoughts about breeding with Tetsuya. After all, he still harbors hatred towards him.

"There's nothing to worry about. After all, our child would be amongst the pack." Ruby pointed to the monsters behind them, "Perhaps it would have horns or maybe claws? Maybe even fur? Who knows~"

Kuroko couldn't imagine giving birth to something that would have horns or fur. "I-If the breeding did work... would I be the "mother"? Would it hurt to give birth? I mean horns, claws... What if it accidentally hurts me?"

Ruby chuckled as Eiji listened in, Ignis breeding? Now that would be interesting to learn about, "No it wouldn't and yes, you would be the mother as I said before." Ruby teased, leaning in closer, "Since you're so eager to learn I take it you agree?"

"M-Maybe." Kuroko said, trying a bit of teasing on his own. "You'd have to really convince me…"

"What is there to convince if you love me?" Ruby narrowed his eyes, "Or should I say this body of mine?"

"I-I was only teasing.." Kuroko said quietly. "Let's just focus on him.."

Ruby watched Kuroko carefully, knowing fully well that the bluenette wasn't teasing him at all. It was frightening how sincere Kuroko was but it made Ruby all the more amused. The creatures behind them growled as Eiji led them through corridors, finally stopping in front of one of the doors.

"Now Subject 11, if you could please." Eiji moved to the side, showing Kuroko the fingerprint scanner that was on the wall.

Kuroko looked at the wall, Eiji, then Ruby. What if this really did hurt them? "Are you sure about this Ruby..?"

"I'm sure. Open it Tetsuya." Ruby nodded as the monsters behind him began to growl, silently telling the human to listen to their leader, otherwise they would have his head.

After hearing the growls, Kuroko reluctantly put his finger on the scanner. At least nothing came out to kill them or anything. The door just simply opened once he had pressed the button. Even if nothing attacked, he still wasn't sure about this.

Once the door was wide open, Ruby, Eiji and Kuroko looked inside to see a huge laboratory with many machines and equipment still in it. Surprisingly the machines and everything was still intact, probably because the room was locked with no means of opening it.

The three went inside, looking around as the monsters behind followed.

It was pretty ironic how out of all the rooms in this building, his father's was one of the ones that were still intact and even untouched. Kuroko looked around, still curious of what his father's room would have. It looked like any other lab, which kind of disappointed him…

As Kuroko and Ruby were looking around, Eiji didn't waste time to walk up to a huge device that was positioned in the center of the lab. Finally! After all this time of research, he finally found the device he's been looking for! That bastard Kuroko hid it pretty well but even he should have known that nothing would escape Eiji's sights.

"Is this is?" Ruby approached the older man who nodded. "This is it. The pinnacle of Dr. Kuroko's research. With this, you'll be invincible."

Kuroko looked up at the machine, staring at it. Why did it look so familiar... "No.. Ruby, he's lying!" He said, glaring at Eiji. "That machine won't make you more powerful. He'll just use it to control you."

"What do you mean Tetsuya?" Ruby and Eiji turned to the bluenette, "Just what I wanted to ask." Eiji walked up to the machine, "its only purpose is to make Ignis powerful."

"You're lying. That won't make him stronger. It'll erase all his memories!" Kuroko frowned. "I know because that's what my father did, and this is the machine he used."

Ruby's eyes widened as he turned to the scientist, waiting for an explanation. He knew that there would be a catch, he never trusted the man from the beginning.

Eiji narrowed his eyes, "Your father changed the function of the machine. Now instead of it being a memory eraser, it's programmed so that it infiltrates the DNA of its target, meddling with its DNA until it reaches a new stage of evolution." Eiji smirked, "It's a masterpiece."

"How do we know you aren't lying?" Kuroko asked, walking up to the two at the machine. "I'm not risking it. I know what the machine does and unless someone tests it, I'm not trusting it." He said. "I won't let you harm Ruby any longer."

"How do you plan to test it then? It was specifically designed for Ignis. If a human uses it then he or she would die." Eiji stressed, annoyed by Subject 11's stubbornness and interference.

"Test it on me then. I'll either lose my memories or I'll die. Either way, we'll either figure out if you're lying or if Ruby would be able to get stronger." However if it did end up killing him, that wouldn't be so bad... It would at least prevent Eiji from making Ruby stronger since only he could activate the machine.

"I refuse." Ruby immediately said, looking at Kuroko. "It was designed for me so it would only be right that I test it."

"But what if you lose your memories? He could hurt you and use you again.." Kuroko frowned.

Ruby placed his right hand on his chin in thought. Kuroko was right; this could all be just a trap. Besides, he's too clever to trust any human. Why should he activate this device when he has the other one he knows works? "It's decided. I'll destroy this machine right here and now."

"W-What!?" Eiji was completely taken by surprise, "What do you mean? Don't you desire strength?"

"I do but I don't think your petty little toy will provide that. I have other means of gaining strength and gaining my original body back. I don't need help from disgusting humans such as yourself who did me harm."

Eiji growled, looking over at Kuroko in anger, "It's you... You pest! You get in the way of everything I do! I should have gotten rid of you long ago when you were but an infant."

"Too bad you weren't smart enough to think of that until it was too late." Kuroko teased much like how Eiji would with him. "You seem really bothered that Ruby doesn't desire to use "your" machine to become stronger. Could it be you really did lie?"

"You... You're just like your wretched mother. Stubborn and incredibly irritating." The venom spat from Eiji's mouth as the monsters neared. He narrowed his eyes but thought up of a plan. He wasn't going down that easily. Not when his plan is just steps away from becoming reality!

Eiji reached out into the inner pocket of his white coat, taking out a taser before shooting it at some of he monsters. The man quickly ran to the bluenette who was taken by surprise due to Eiji's quick speed, even though he was an older man. Eiji swiftly ran and grabbed Kuroko from behind, pointing the taser at him, "We'll see who gets the last laugh pest."

Kuroko clenched his teeth, moving slightly to see how strong of a grip Eiji had. So he was going to be held hostage again? How original. He struggled against the hold, wondering how such an old man could be so strong. It was quite annoying.

"Look at you, panicking because your little "subjects" weren't too stupid to fall for your trap. That taser might harm me but it won't be able to take on all the children. And you're surrounded by them." Besides it's not like Ruby would listen just because Kuroko was in danger. Ruby could easily cast him aside again…

"Haha! Your ignorance never ceases to amaze me! You see, I've found it. Ignis's weakness." Eiji glanced at Ruby who stood still, staring at them both as the children surrounding them growled. "Push that button Ignis." Eiji commanded, pointing to a red button on the device.

Ruby tilted his head to the side to see the said button before looking back at Eiji and Kuroko. He stood still, glaring at Eiji before walking over to the button as the monsters growled, more than ready to jump on the humans.

"What.. Ruby, why are you listening to him?" Kuroko asked, watching with shock and a little amazement. Did Ruby really care? "Ruby, don't listen! Don't worry about me.." It was a little shocking that Ruby would actually care that Kuroko was taken hostage.

Ruby reached the button but before he would press it, he looked over at Kuroko, surprising the bluenette with his warm smile. Ruby turned again, hesitating before pressing the red button.

"INITIATING" A loud female voice said, before an alarm was set off and red lights began to shine over the entire room. It wasn't long before the ground began shaking as well.

Kuroko looked around, confused and worried about what's about to happen. He could see the monster's confusion too. They were looking around, some pacing and even whining. Then it felt like the room was... moving? It felt like an elevator going up. Was the whole room moving?

And to answer Kuroko's question, it was. The ground suddenly shook as it shot upwards towards the sky; making the creatures that managed to stay, fall down on the ground due to the pressure. Ruby fell down too, holding onto the machine while Eiji held Kuroko tightly.

Soon enough they could all see that they were going through a tube, leading them up and up. They all held tightly to whatever they could until suddenly the 'lift' began slowing down, completely stopping when a massive door opened, leading them outside to the room as the cold air hit them all with a breeze.

Kuroko was worried about Ruby, but he was more confused on why they were suddenly on the roof. They went from the bottom floor to the top... For what purpose? "Why are we up here?" He questioned, looking back at Eiji.

Eiji pushed Kuroko, making the other wince in pain, "Must I explain everything to you? Are you really that clueless?" Eiji spoke in pure anger and hate, "A befitting stage for the finale! Hahaha!" The reason is that the device doesn't work if it isn't outdoors but... Eiji was too caught up in his ambitions to explain properly. "Oh~ How I wish to throw you down here and now but then again if I did that, then I wouldn't be able to control Ignis." Eiji turned to the said redhead.

"Stand up! Or would you rather he die?" He threatened as Ruby gave him a glare, slowly moving to stand up.

Kuroko watched nervously, trying to think of a way to get through all of this. With the sun still out, the creatures couldn't help protect them. Kuroko couldn't do much, especially since his arm is still wounded. It was really up to Ruby, but he was just complying with everything Eiji said... "Ruby, you can just leave now. You don't have to worry about me. You don't need me.."

With some difficulty, the redhead stood up, glaring at Eiji who chuckled. "It's useless Subject 11. Ignis has formed a bond with you unlike anyone else ever would. I've been watching, observing and concluded that Ignis values you dearly. Almost as if you were one of his children, a very precious child he has grown an attachment to. No, you're much more than that. You're an irreplaceable existence to him and that's why you're the perfect tool for me to use! Haha!" Eiji chuckled loudly as Ruby glared with the intend to kill.

"Pathetic! Love is a useless human emotion. I'm very disappointed in you Ignis. Who would have thought you would learn such a useless emotion like that. It will only hinder you in your evolution, just like the situation we're in right now."

Love? Irreplaceable? No.. He couldn't be that towards Ruby...

But it would make sense. It would make sense that Ruby would try to get away from him when he realized he loved him. He knew having someone to love would be dangerous, just like now. That's why he tried getting away from Kuroko...

"What about you?" Kuroko asked, glancing at Eiji again. "Aren't you taking revenge for your brother? The brother you loved and lost?"

"I won't deny that when it's the truth. I did love my brother. He helped me achieve many things, reaching new heights of human abilities! However, we both knew that such an emotion couldn't hold us back, and that's why we made a pledge. A pledge that whoever lives will be tasked with finishing what we both began!" Eiji pushed the taser into Kuroko's neck.

"However, I'm deeply disappointed that Ignis who isn't a human would begin to 'love'. Learn about such a useless emotion... and it's all because of you Subject 11, although I have to thank you for that. Because of you I am able to control Ignis. Now, just do what you're told like a little good puppet you've always been and everything will work out perfectly."

Kuroko took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. He could not let Ruby get hurt. He had to do something about Eiji. He suddenly started struggling, doing anything to get out of his grasp. "No one is going to be anyone's puppet any longer!"

"We'll see about that!" Eiji raised his voice before turning on the taser, giving Kuroko a shock.

Kuroko managed to hold in the shout of pain that desperately wanted to come out. As soon as the shocking was done and the taser turned off, Kuroko's body went limp. He was only standing because Eiji was still holding him.

"Tetsuya!" Ruby took a step closer but Eiji noticed, "Take a step closer and he dies! You're better than this Ignis. Now, let's unlock your potential together." Ruby clenched his fists, "Disgusting human."

"I may be a disgusting human, but I'm a human you'll listen to. Now move it or subject 11 dies. Activate the device." Eiji commanded but Ruby couldn't take off his eyes from Kuroko's limp body. His eyes wavered off to his children who were powerlessly lying down on the ground, the sun shining brightly on their dark bodies.

Ruby growled, not moving.

"Move it." Eiji urged but Ruby's eyes didn't leave Kuroko.

There was something he noticed... It was almost unnoticeable but since he wasn't human, he could tell. One of Kuroko's eyes were open. It wasn't open any more than half an inch, but it was open. He was still awake! Then why was he feigning sleep? Then it clicked as soon as he saw Kuroko move. He had provoked Eiji on purpose.

Kuroko had suddenly turned in Eiji's hold since the old man wasn't expecting it. He knocked the taser out of Eiji's hand before kicking the man away. Finally he felt like Akashi's training was coming to good use! But since he wasn't very strong and the shock did leave his muscles a little weak and sore, the kick wasn't enough to push the other towards the edge of the building. So Kuroko moved away from Eiji, keeping distance.

"You!" Eiji hissed, preparing to launch himself at the bluenette again, however, it was too late as two strong hands had grabbed his shoulders. "Sleep." Ruby whispered into Eiji's ear before hitting a pressure point in the other's neck, making him fall unconscious. Ruby threw the motionless body of the old man on the ground before walking over to Kuroko.

"Tetsuya!" Ruby kneeled down, picking Kuroko's upper body up in his arms.

Kuroko held onto Ruby, just keeping himself standing. "Sorry if I worried you... it was the only thing I could think of to get away from him." He said, wondering if Ruby really had been worried. "Why did you listen to him? You would've been used if you had!"

"You really are clueless Tetsuya." Ruby said before embracing Kuroko tightly in his arms, "I thought I had lost you. Never do that again. Never."

Kuroko didn't know what to say at first. Ruby really did love him? He slowly embraced the other back. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Not that I could... I think I really did black out for a second when he shocked me." He had planned for Eiji to shock him and hoped he would stay awake. He was just lucky things turned out how they are now.

Ruby tightened his hold on the other, giving him one tight embrace before moving away so that he could see Kuroko's face, "Humans are strange. Do you not value your life?"

"It's not that... it's just that I figured I don't deserve it. I've been living in happiness and ignorance while everyone else was suffering... so I wanted to do anything to make sure they were happy." Kuroko said.

"I see." Ruby understood but at the same time didn't want this to happen again, "You can't give your life away so easily, so never do it again. I need you by my side. Aren't we going to change the world together?"

Kuroko hesitated a little, looking down. "...I love Ruby and I want to change the world but... I don't want to kill to do it. Everyone's not perfect; I can say that even for myself. But they don't need to die because of it. Especially innocent people who wouldn't hurt anybody."

"Innocent people?" Ruby narrowed his eyes, "Nobody is innocent Tetsuya. Everyone has something they have to atone for." Nobody is without sin, "I don't care about the others around me. I only look forward towards my goal."

"Your goal? So you really don't care about the group? About me? About Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked, his voice rising slightly. "Do you hate me or love me? You're back and forth, it's confusing me! If you really care oh for your goal, I assume you wouldn't care if I jumped off the building right?"

"That's not it." Ruby quickly said, "I don't know how to express myself in human terms. How should I express myself for you to understand?" Ruby tightened his hold on the other's shoulders, "Tell me, what should I do to satisfy you? Save your group? Return everything to how it was? Isn't that what you humans refer to as being 'selfish'? I've finally obtained freedom and you want me to give it away?"

"I don't want to take your freedom away. All I'm saying is that killing everyone and everything won't make the world better. I know you don't want to hear this, but we do need some bad people for the good people to rise. Of course people like the scientists shouldn't exist because they have done a lot of wrong, but people like the group don't deserve to die." Kuroko tried to explain as best as he could. "Not everyone is perfect, but not everyone is so sinful that they need to die. There won't even be a world if no one's alive to live on it.."

Ruby stared in surprise, "You need bad people for the good people to rise? That's nonsense." Ruby couldn't believe what Kuroko had just said, "Of course the world will be inhabited by my children. It won't be empty at all."

"But.. look, it's like this.. Mean people are being mean of course. Some people turn mean because of it but some people see the hate in the world and become stronger and much more kind in hopes of changing it. Eventually they help people and the mean people become kind if they are shown enough kindness. Happiness breeds happiness. Hate spreads hate. Killing people will just cause others to feel the need for vengeance, which would take away their kindness." Kuroko said. "I don't know if I'm making sense... humans are definitely selfish and confusing as you say time after time, but they're not all bad."

Ruby stared at the bluenette in confusion, trying to make sense of what the other said, but no matter how hard he tried, the memories of the past were still haunting him, "I'm sorry Tetsuya. I can never forgive the humans." His mind set.

"I see.. I'm sorry then." Kuroko murmured, looking down. "It is selfish of me to try and change your mind, isn't it?" He sighed. "Can you at least promise.. that the group and I can stay by your side?"

Ruby stared at the other, thinking, "Alright. I can do that."

"Thank you.." Kuroko looked back up at Ruby. "I'm glad I can still be by your side.. I'm sure the group will be too."

The group again... why does Kuroko care about them so much? He wasn't with them for long yet he treats them like they're his everything. Could he be just a clueless human ready to throw his life away whenever he deems fit? Ruby wouldn't allow that.

The redhead leaned in, kissing the bluenette and catching him off guard with the sudden kiss.

The shorter male stiffened a little in shock. Why was Ruby suddenly kissing him? He didn't understand... Though he did relax a little after a few moments. It wasn't hurting him after all, so it was fine... Kuroko held onto Ruby's arms, leaning up slightly towards the other.

The redhead placed his hands on Kuroko's arms, pushing him down but never breaking the kiss. The kiss was sweet yet rough at the same time. Ruby opened his golden eyes to notice Kuroko twitching, slowly losing his breath. He slowly broke the kiss before pushing himself up, "Does this seal our deal?"

"U-Um.. well.." How could Ruby expect him to answer right after a kiss like that? "If it.. if it keeps Ruby from leaving then.. yes."

Ruby smiled, standing up before extending his hand for Kuroko to take. Meanwhile, a little drone carrying something blue flew by past them…

As Kuroko stood up with Ruby's help, he curiously looked at the drone. "Is that.. my pendant?" He asked with confusion. The drone flew over to... Eiji. He was awake! And definitely not happy…

The older man glared holes at them, barely standing up but still holding out a hand for the drone to give him the pendant. The drone flew, dropping the pendant into Eiji's hand before suddenly falling down the platform they were on. "You've defined me long enough. Playtime is over." Eiji pushed the pendant into a hole that was in the device and as he did, the said machine immediately started up.

"The true purpose of this machine was to make Ignis stronger, however, with overriding the function, I can switch it to its other hidden use, an option Dr. Kuroko built in himself!" Eiji raised his voice as the machine was booting up.

"Your father wanted to make everything right! He wanted to destroy the source of all the research we did! That very source being Ignis. If there is no Ignis then there is future for our project! Hahaha!" Eiji coughed, surprising Kuroko when he noticed that it was blood. Eiji didn't mind, smiling as he looked up at the two.

"I'll take you down with me." The machine began emitting lights as Eiji moved to stand beside it. "This is for my brother, monster." He pressed the button and as soon as he did, the device fired off a beam of energy towards Ruby and Kuroko.

Eiji watched with a smile before falling down, down from the platform and to his own death.

The two could only watch as the beam headed straight towards them. What could they do? Just stand there and try to take it? Would it hurt Kuroko as well or only Ruby? But they didn't have time to wonder. They only had a few seconds...

And in those few seconds, Kuroko witnessed Ruby's body moving in front of him. The beam was designed to kill him so why was he moving? Why was he getting in the way of the beam? Why? Kuroko tried to yell out Ruby's name but before he could even move his lips, the beam had hit Ruby and no one could see anything but the blinding light.

Kuroko watched as Ruby spread his arms wide before him. The bluenette watched in shock and surprise as Ruby tilted his head to the side. He could barely see due to the blinding light but he could still make out Ruby's lips moving. Kuroko's eyes widened as the beam ate them both up in its light.

The light of the beam could be seen far away due to its size. The group stood, watching from the building's entrance as the beam was fired. They all watched in shock and worry, "Tetsu..." but that's all they could do.

The beam ended but the group had already begun moving. It was lucky that they all survived, even little Nigou who would have scars of his own to prove his courage. They were all running towards the building they had recently fled from for safety.

The group had noticed that as they got closer, they heard cries from the monsters from above, but they didn't think much of it. They just ran all the way to the roof, not even pausing for a break despite facing so many floors. When they opened the door to the roof, they were just in time to see the last few creatures cry and howl as they slowly turned to dust as if done by magic. Why were they disappearing just when it's getting dark?

Upon looking around the now empty roof, they spotted their two-team members by the edge of the roof. They rushed over and were surprised to find them completely fine from the attack. But that's not all. Akashi's body... It was normal! No more horns, no more weird reptilian skin. It was their old Akashi... So where was Ruby?

Nigou had approached Kuroko, whining as he nudged his face. But Kuroko didn't budge. He tried licking his cheek, but the other still didn't wake up. Nigou laid down by Kuroko's head and stayed close. The group stayed close too. It's not like they had to rush home. After all... The monsters were finally gone.

Aomine picked up Kuroko while Murasakibara took Akashi as they all headed down the huge skyscraper. The night was young yet no monsters in sight... They looked around but noticed that there was nothing to be seen. What did surprise them was a human that was walking down the street... The human looked around, probably startled by the huge beam he had seen in the distance.

The group was shocked but also wary of the human man, cautious if he should attack them. However soon enough more people came out of their hiding, gathering out in the dark streets. There weren't many but it was still surprising to see that there were other survivors out there other than them.

Everyone was confused yet overwhelmed at the same time. The future of human kind is bright again.

Two months had passed as the humans came out of their hiding. The people that listened to the news when the apocalypse began, came out of the government shelter, blinded by the light of the sun they haven't seen in a long, long time. There weren't many of them but there were still enough people to start anew. Create a new future for everyone.

As humanity began rebuilding the buildings, the farms and factories, the group decided to stay in their hideout for the meantime. Hopefully they'll all build their own houses and live as if nothing had ever happened. Well... the damage was vast and many lives were lost but... everyone was confident that they could rebuild humanity.

A redhead teen was siting on the edge of the roof, looking down at the scenery before him with Kuroko sitting beside him. Even though the sight before him was beautiful, Akashi couldn't see any of it. From that day onwards, his world remained dark, just like those days of the apocalypse.

Even though there was darkness, one speck of light still remained... Akashi held onto Kuroko's hand tightly as they both sat in silence, the gentle winds soothing their scars.

Kuroko looked down at their hands before looking up at Akashi to see if he said anything and he missed it. Kuroko was the same as Akashi. Well, not exactly the same. While Akashi had lost his sight, Kuroko had lost his ability to hear the peaceful sounds of the morning just when the sun is rising. When Akashi didn't repeat anything, Kuroko just leaned his head on the other's shoulder. He squeezed Akashi's hand tightly, assuring him.

Akashi could feel the tight squeeze, returning the gesture and gently leaning his head onto Kuroko's. Even though they had no means of communicating... it didn't matter. They both spoke in a way much stronger than words could ever express.

If Kuroko was bold, he'd say they could be considered lovers. But luckily he doesn't have to speak his thoughts anymore. It's a lot harder trying to speak when you can't hear yourself, more than one would think.

Lovers.. His mind went back to that day. The day Ruby and the monsters disappeared. Ruby's last words that day made him miss him even more when he remembered them. Eiji was correct about Ruby. A being out of this world had learned the human emotion "love". And he actually admitted it.

Ruby, before he had disappeared, had uttered his last words towards Kuroko as he blocked the beam. _'I love you.'_

Kuroko closed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, something he rarely did since he couldn't do it easily anymore. "Love you.." His voice was soft but Akashi could hear it easily.

The redhead's lips slowly formed into s soft smile, tightening his hold on the other's hand. "I love you too." And so, the boy learned to love.

Kuroko smiled when he watched Akashi's lips, reading most of what he was saying. However his eyes were torn away when he felt something brush against his back. He glanced back and saw Nigou who was panting happily. Kuroko could still clearly see the dog's scars, even if the pup was starting to grow. He was growing up to be a brave guard dog. He picked up Nigou before noticing the group coming over as well. Kuroko lightly touched Akashi's hand to warn him, although he was sure Akashi already heard them coming.

The group walked up to them with a smile as Kuroko and Akashi turned to do the same. They all looked up at the rising sun, symbolizing a new beginning. A little blue pendant shone around Kuroko's neck, shining in the reminder of those they lost. His parents and also Ruby.

The group watched the sun, Kuroko holding Akashi's hand tightly in his. Their future is bright.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **The Lucky Bell:** Oh my gosh it's the end :'3 ah, how sad... I kind of liked this story although I wish I could've made it better. And the ending? How cheesy is that? Sorry, we just really wanted to include some deaf and blindness :'D maybe we shouldn't have but we did~

Uh anyway, I really hope you guys liked this story. It did start getting confusing but... we'll try to improve on that! We swear! Oh, and by the way, don't be afraid to share fanart! We love seeing it :'3 We've always wanted fanart too!

 **KurokoTetsuya101:** We're finally here! The end! ;3; Some of you may be sad that it's the end... and some of you may even cry XD no, no I really hope you're not :( But with one chapter closing, another one opens :) Yes, we're currently writing 2 NEW STORIES :D We don't know when we'll post next but hopefully it'll be soon :) So please follow us so you can get a notification on when we post a new story :) I don't want to say anything because we want to surprise you but... if you want a hint then look at the polling on our profile page :)

I want to say that I like how this story turned out but there are definitely some things I would like to improve (if I could turn back time). I would definitely give Seirin a bigger role and I would explain more on what the devices do. So basically those devices were developed by the Akashi Corporation to control Ignis should worse come to worse. Those devices were always meant to be kept together but after the apocalypse happened, they were all scattered around... so it was really hard to gather them (especially since they're so fragile). However, aside from that, Kuroko's father also developed his own devices to save everyone which he kept a secret and the pendant is the key to that :) I hope it's not confusing...

Please if you have any more question's, don't hesitate to ask :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! WE'LL SEE YOU GUYS SOON WITH OUR NEW STORY! *HUGS EVERYONE* THANK YOU FOR STICKING AROUND!

 **THE END**


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